


Love From Tragedy

by silentkiss123



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2018-10-14 05:01:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 45,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10529475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentkiss123/pseuds/silentkiss123
Summary: What could possibly bloom from two geniuses working in the same field? Could it be competition? Or maybe the start of something beautiful?





	1. The Introduction

"I'm telling you guys, this girl was all over me last night. Being the gentleman I am, I couldn't just leave her alone." Said Morgan, smirking as his teammates just rolled their eyes. "Right. A real gentleman. What can any woman do without the great hero, Derek Morgan." Said JJ, giving the man a light punch on the arm. "Yeah, if you're a gentleman, then I'll be meeting my fourth wife by tomorrow." Said Rossi, shaking his head with a smile. "Well then David Rossi I suggest you go and get a nice engagement ring, because I'm telling you two-" 

 

"Excuse me." 

 

The three agents turned around, finally noticing the presence of the dark haired young woman. "Yes miss, how can we help you?" Said JJ, giving her a kind smile. "Well, aren't you pretty. I'm hoping you could show me where agent Hotchner's office is. I have a meeting with him at 9 o clock today." She said, returning the smile. "Oh, thank you. Um..his office is right up there." JJ pointed towards a closed door above the pen, earning a quiet thank you from the young woman as she made her way up. "Well that was something." Said Rossi, letting out a chuckle as JJ raised her eyebrows. "Very upfront woman, I guess." She said, giving a slight shrug. "Seems to be. But can we talk about how gorgeous she was? Not sure what she's hiding under that trench coat, but I'd like to find out." Morgan said, letting out a laugh as his teammates just rolled their eyes once more. "Still a gentleman huh." Said JJ, shaking her head. "You know it. But, being serious for a moment. What did she want with Hotch? Said she had a meeting with him. Rossi, him and Beth are still going together, right?" Morgan asked, turning his attention to the older gentleman. "Last time I checked, yes. But, if you wanna know about Hotch and Beth, I suggest you ask Hotch. In the meantime, our lady friend seems to be returning." Rossi said, nodding his head towards the woman retreating down the steps. 

 

 

"Excuse me ma'am, you mind if I ask why you were meeting agent Hotchner?" Asked Morgan, all three of them equally curious. "My, aren't you handsome. I'll have to get to know you a little better on more, private, terms. Until then, your leader said he'll be down to explain things shortly." She said, giving Derek a smirk before heading towards something that caught her attention. Rossi let out a whistle, "definitely upfront, huh. Can't wait to see how she likes me." He said, smiling as he put his hands in his pockets. "I don't think she can exactly handle the Italian Stallion." Morgan said, laughing. "Hey guys, check her out." JJ said, causing both men to turn their attention to the strange woman. "Why the hell is she just parked on Reid's desk?" Morgan asked, slightly stunned. "No clue. But check out the book in her hands. Is it just me or does she read exactly like-" 

 

"Exactly like who?" 

 

The trio quickly spun around, slightly startled by their colleague. "Jeez, Reid. You can give someone a heart attack doing that." Morgan said, letting out a sigh. "I don't think being startled would kill any of you and why is there a woman on my desk?" He asked, causing the group to turn around again. "No idea, Spence. She literally just walked over, sat down, grabbed a book and started reading." Said JJ, pushing the man towards his desk. "You're the genius, see if you can figure it out." She said, smirking as Morgan and Rossi shook their heads. "You think he can find something out about her?" Morgan asked, watching his friend as he made his way over. "Who knows, but it's worth the shot." Said JJ, shrugging. 

 

Meanwhile, Spencer finally made it to his desk, slightly surprised to see just how much of the book she'd read. He cleared his throat, "excuse me, miss?" He said quietly, taking a slight step back as her head snapped up at the sound of his voice. He immediately noticed something off with her eyes. They seemed as though they should be blue, but something just wasn't right. "Tall and handsome. Very nice. How can I help you?" She asked, smiling at him. "Well, it's just y-you're kind of sitting on my desk.." Reid said quietly, slightly caught off by the sudden compliment. "Oh! I'm sorry. I just saw the books and I couldn't really help myself." She said, standing herself up. The boots she wore nearly had her at Reid's height, shy of it by just a few inches. "The name's Holsen. Victoria Holsen. I'm aware of who you are, Dr. Reid. Your teammates, agents Jareau, Morgan, and Rossi are quite friendly. Though I think I've confused them a bit." She said, giggling softly. "How do you know our-" 

 

"Reid, I'm glad you're here. I need to introduce you all." Hotch spoke up from behind the two, turning their attention to him. JJ, Rossi, and Morgan were already behind him. "Everyone, this is SSA Victoria Holsen, she'll be joining us starting today." He said, giving her a small smile as she waved at the surprised three behind him. "Lovely to meet you all. I look forward to working with you. All of you." Victoria said, turning her attention back to Spencer. He simply gave her a slight smile, slowly moving closer to his team. "Holsen huh. You wouldn't happen to know agent Charles Holsen, would you?" Said Rossi, eyeing the woman curiously. "I should know the man, considering he's my father." She stated calmly, giggling as a wide smile spread across Rossi's face. "Little Victoria! It's been so long, I didn't even recognize you! Last time I saw you, you barely stopped at my knee." Rossi went and hugged her, ignoring the confused looks from the team. "It's a joy to see you, uncle David. When I heard an agent Rossi worked here, I thought it might've been you, but dad told me you'd retired." She said, giving him a smile. "It's a long story. I'll explain it later." He said, patting her shoulders. "What the hell is this??" Morgan said, completely stunned. "Uncle David?" JJ asked, eyebrow raised. "I happen to be good friends with this young lady's father. I met her once when she was about five years old. And I must say, she's definitely grown up. But your eyes," Rossi said, gazing at the woman closely. "Your eyes. I thought they were-" 

 

"Excuse me, sir." Everyone glanced up. "What is it, Garcia?" Said Hotch, noticing the folder in her hand. 

 

"We've got a case."


	2. Let's Get To Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Agent Holsen to start her first case with the team! Also, what's up with her eyes? Let's find out~.

"I assume I'll be starting work immediately." Said Victoria, following her new team into their meeting room. "That's correct. Garcia, this is Agent Holsen and she'll be joining us from now on." Said Hotch, taking a seat at the round table. "Oh, right! I remember you mentioned a new team member arriving. I'm Penelope Garcia, technical analyst." She said, extending her hand. "Victoria Holsen, the new agent. Nice to meet you. And cute shoes." Victoria replied, shaking her hand before taking a seat among the others. "Why thank you! Alright everyone, if you'll open your tablets, or folders for our fellow doctor, we'll begin with the absolute Wacko of the Week." Garcia said, walking over and grabbing the TV remote. Soon there were images of a young blonde on screen. "This is 24 year old Olivia Sanders. She was reported missing by her roommate the night before last and was discovered this morning by a jogger walking his dog. Claims the dog went crazy and then he found her like that." Victoria scrolled through the images, taking note of every detail. "Wrapped up in a plastic bag and missing, well, quite a bit." Said Victoria, glancing up. "Her eyes, lips, and fingernails are all missing. Judging by the marks on her neck, I'm guessing she was strangled to death." Said JJ, earning a nod from Garcia. "Correct. And she's not the only one. Three days before that, 23 year old Angelica Houston was found in the same manner and three days before that, 24 year old Julie Peters was found as well." "All blonde and around the same age. Definitely surrogates for someone, but who?" Said Rossi, observing the other women's pictures. "That's what we're going to find out. Wheels up in twenty." Said Hotch, rising from the table. "Holsen, I'm assuming you've already packed a go-bag." "And you'd assume right. I just gotta grab it outta my car." She said, earning a swift nod from Hotch before he headed off. 

 

~On The Jet~ 

 

"So this guy's killing women every three days. Probably holding on to them for so long to induce all this torture. Said Morgan, going over the case files. "No signs of sexual assault. Maybe he gets off on strangling them. It says they all were strangled multiple times before the final fatal act." Said Reid, earning a small hum from Victoria. "It's strange though. He used their blood to make it seem as if they had tear streaks going down their face. What could cause-ouch..!" Everyone turned their attention to the black haired woman, who was currently rubbing her eye. "Are you alright?" JJ asked, sitting next to her. "Yeah I'm fine, just something in my eye I suppose." She said, blinking her eyes rapidly. "Sure your contact isn't out of place?" Reid asked, casually going through the folder. "Contact?" Rossi asked, gazing at the woman curiously. "I've read your file and you have the best vision humanly possible. You don't need contacts." Said Hotch, staring at her. "I can explain, actually." Said Victoria, letting out a nervous laugh. "Please do. And remove the contacts while you're at it." Hotch replied with a frown. "I'd rather leave them. Makes my life a whole lot easier." "You know, it's difficult flying with contacts in because-" "because when you're in a plane the air is drier and they dry out. I'm aware. I just didn't wanna remove them. And I didn't exactly bring any solution for them." Victoria groaned in annoyance as she rubbed her eyes, leaving Reid slightly stunned from her finishing his sentence. 

 

"Holsen, remove the lenses and explain why you have them. Now." Hotch ordered, earning a sigh from her. "Fine fine. Gimme a minute." She muttered, holding her head back as she slowly removed the lenses. All eyes were on her as both lenses came out, shock spreading across the jet as her own irises were shown. "Before any of you start, just let me explain. I wear the contacts because after going out to different families to help them when their relatives were murdered or kidnapped or anything, my former boss and I got a little fed up with half of them calling me everything from a demon to a damned devil worshiper." She said, blinking her eyes to get used to having the contacts out. "Hell, he's actually the one who recommended I wear these. Saying it would be easier than keeping me holed up in the office." Everyone stared in stunned silence until, "that's honestly the coolest thing I've ever seen." Said JJ, a smile spreading across her face. "I didn't even know that was a possible eye color!" Morgan said, seeming rather amused. "No wonder I didn't recognize you at first. Blue eyes weren't the color I remembered." Rossi said, earning a shy smile from the young woman. "I'm sorry about that, Uncle Rossi. Just a part of the job. But you.." she said, pointing at Reid, who was still staring in awe. "How the hell did you figure out I had contacts in??" She asked, snapping him out of his dazed state. "Blue contacts simply couldn't mask red eyes. I saw something was off when we met. Your eyes are actually red though.." He said quietly, earning a soft giggle from her. "Indeed." She said, smiling. "Alright everyone, back to focusing on the case. When we land, JJ and I will head to the station, Dave, you and Morgan can head to the latest victim's dump site. Reid and Holsen, you two go and see what the medical examiner has to say about our other two victims." Hotch said, reeling everyone back into the case. 

 

~Time Skip~ 

 

Spencer and Victoria finally arrived at the ME's office, the two victims' bodies laying on separate tables. "I honestly haven't seen anything this weird in all of my career." The ME said, shaking his head at the two poor victims. "The eyes are perfectly removed. No messy cuts or anything. Was this all done post or antemortem?" Victoria asked, observing victim number one's fingers. "Definitely antemortem. If it was done after they died, there wouldn't be traces of so much blood." The ME replied, lifting the bottom of the sheet that covered the victim's body. "I didn't notice until the report was already sent to you guys, but their toenails are gone as well." Reid observed both victims closely, his brow slightly furrowed. "You know, Uncle Rossi said you do that cute little brow thing when you're thinking hard. He didn't exactly call it cute, but still." Victoria said, giving him a small smile. "I wouldn't really consider it cute but..anyway I'm starting to think our unsub is a woman. I mean think about it. No sexual assault, careful and precise eye and lip removal. And strangulation instead of stabbing." Reid said, glancing between the two victims. "I see what you mean, and it certainly explains a lot. Seems like we've learned everything we can here. Better get back and inform the others." Victoria said, thanking the ME for his time as she took her leave. Spencer gave him a slight smile, starting to leave until, "hey wait a second..! I didn't wanna say anything and seem rude but..were her eyes actually, you know, red??" He asked, eyes wide in shock. "Yes they are. My team and I just found out ourselves." Reid replied, leaving behind a speechless man. 

 

~To the Police Station!~ 

 

By the time the pair had returned, Morgan and Rossi had been back as well. "Hotch, I want my contacts back in. I've been getting weird looks left and right and it's getting on my damn nerves." Victoria said, frowning deeply. "As long as your vision is as good as it is, they have to stay out. If the people around you aren't helpful to our case, then don't mind them." Hotch replied, making her groan. "Fine." she said, turning her attention to Morgan. "You guys find anything at the dump site?" "Nothing out of the ordinary. How'd it go with the ME?" Morgan asked, sitting on the edge of the table they stood around. "We learned that their toenails were removed too. He discovered it after the report was sent it." Said Reid, working on a map. "We also have reason to believe our unsub is a woman." Victoria said, taking a sip of coffee. "Explains the precision and plastic wrapping." Said JJ, sharing a nod with Holsen. 

 

"Excuse me folks." 

 

Everyone turned their attention to the door. "What can we do for you, sheriff?" Said Hotch, taking a step forward. "You know, I just remembered I seen something similar to this a couple weeks ago." He said, causing everyone to stare in silence. "And you..didn't report it why?" Rossi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't feel the need to." The sheriff replied, shrugging slightly. "Was some blonde prostitute. Had her eyes poked out and was strangled to death. Something wrong ma'am?" He asked, noticing Victoria roll her eyes. "Let me guess. The whole "I thought it was a date gone wrong" story, right. Think the John killed her after he finished his business." She asked, sounding fully annoyed. "Holsen.." Hotch said calmly, though his tone was warning. "Well you know how these things go. You can never be too sure with these girls. You can't tell me you wouldn't have thought the same." He said, earning another eye roll. "No, actually I'd probably do my damn job and report something that looks out of the ordinary. But that's none of my business." She stated coldly, calmly sipping her coffee. "Holsen. Enough." Hotch said, glaring at her while the rest of the team tried not to laugh. "I'm sorry, sir." She said, letting out a sigh. "I'll leave you folks to it." The sheriff said, glaring daggers at Victoria as he left. "Agent Holsen, that behavior is not tolerated here. I get he might've been in the wrong but we were invited here to help. You can't go around offending the locals. Especially not the sheriff." Hotch said calmly, making her sigh. "I know. I'm sorry. I just couldn't help it." She said, shaking her head. 

 

Everyone turned their attention to Hotch as his phone rang. "What'd you find, Garcia?" He said, putting the phone on speaker as he placed it on the table. "Well sir, to the outside world all of the girls seem like relatively normal, kind hearted good girls." Garcia replied. "But let me guess," Victoria started, "they have a few skeletons in their closets." "You'd be correct, my dear new friend. Apparently Olivia was a major, MAJOR party girl, going to whatever party she could, whenever she could. Which just so happened to be most of the time. Angelica was the same way, her credit card purchases loaded with mostly booze and cigarette purchases. And Julie, well, she went a little more hardcore than just cigarettes and alcohol, sadly." She said softly. "Were they ever at the same party together?" JJ asked. "Seems like they all posted pictures on their social medias. Though they didn't interact, this is definitely the same place and don't bother asking where because I've already sent all of you the address!" She said happily. "Thanks Garcia. Be sure to keep searching." Said Hotch, hanging up. "JJ, Victoria, you two go check out the address." He said, sending the women on their way.

 

"Is this what's considered a girl's day out?" Victoria asked, giggling as JJ just smiled. "Don't worry," she replied, "Penelope and I will definitely show you a real girl's night. Consider it a welcome to the team." Said JJ, the two of them heading out the front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I forgot to add a location. XD what state should this be in? Also, I know it doesn't seem very spencer x character like yet, but it is only the beginning. Just gotta let the story grow.


	3. Get To Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the team to get to know their new member a little better.

"So, how are you liking the team so far?" Asked JJ, her eyes glued to the road as she drove. "No complaints whatsoever. Everyone seems quite nice, and for the first time I haven't been getting judged by my eyes from the people I work with. Not to mention so many handsome men." Victoria replied, giggling as she stared out the window. "Ooh, handsome huh? Well now I've gotta ask. Who's the most handsome?" Said JJ, glancing at the woman with a grin before watching the road once more. "Well, let's see. Hotch is tall and I must say, he wears a suit quite well. And I doubt he's so serious all the time, right?" "Oh, no. Just on the job. I doubt any of us could've worked with him all these years if he were that serious 24/7." JJ Said, earning a small hum from the dark haired woman. "I can understand. Anyway, mister Derek Morgan is a handsome hunk himself. Most certainly a bit of chocolate I could sink my teeth into." Victoria said, smirking as both women let out a laugh. "Now Uncle Rossi. Definitely a handsome man who doesn't look a day past 50. But as you can guess with the whole 'Uncle' thing, that's one I'd steer clear away from." She said, giggling as JJ shook her head and smiled. "Understandable. Why do you call him uncle, anyway?" Asked JJ. "Well as he said, he's good friends with my father. I met him when I was 6 years old and I just kept calling him Uncle Rossi. Probably had to do with all the candy I got for doing so." She replied, giggling. "That certainly explains it. Now last but certainly not least, our very own Dr. Spencer Reid. What do you think of him? Very highly I'm guessing." JJ said, noticing a wide smirk spread across the woman's face. "I've hardly known him but I must say, I have zero complaints with that one. Tall, extremely handsome, hazel eyes to kill for. Not to mention the cloud on his head that happens to be his hair. Also very intelligent, I heard." She stated, smiling as JJ nodded. "He's our own personal genius. You're gonna like him a lot, I can tell. Speaking of eyes.." JJ said, slightly trailing off. 

 

"Yes yes, red eyes. I know." Victoria said, giggling. "It's shocking but it's simply an extremely rare eye color, just like violet eyes. The only color more rare than either of them are green eyes." "Seems like you've done your research." "Not really. I've just read a lot. Anyway, I think we're here." Victoria stated, taking note of the rather nice house. "This place is big enough to hold three parties in it." She muttered, exiting the car as it stopped. "Certainly is. Let's see who's home." Said JJ, the two walking next to each other up the walkway. JJ rung the doorbell, glancing at Holsen as she started to unbutton her trench coat. "I just realized you're still wearing that. How come?" She asked, reaching for her credentials as she heard footsteps inside. "I just like it." She replied, shrugging slightly. JJ raised an eyebrow but left it alone as the door started to open. "Well hello there, ladies. How can I help you two?" The man said, standing in the doorway with a smirk. The smirk faded as both women showed their credentials. "We have questions about a party you threw here recently. Do you mind if we come in?" Said JJ, giving the man a small smile. "Well that's gonna be a little tough. I throw parties here almost every night. As a matter of fact, I'm having one tonight. Why don't you two stop by and-" He cut himself off as he finally took a good look at Victoria, a scowl forming on both their faces. "The hell wrong with this one. She got permanent pink eye or something? I don't let in freak shows." He said coldly, earning a low growl from her. "Actually the color is all natural. But you're about to have a permanent black eye if you don't move your ass." She said, smiling sweetly. The man glanced at JJ, who gave him that same smile, causing him to sigh and step out of the way. "Thank you very much." Victoria said sweetly, following him and JJ into the living room. "Whatever look, just make this quick. Like I said I got a party to setup for." He said, frowning. "We were wondering if you remembered these three woman from one of your parties." Said Victoria, placing their pictures on the table. "Huh. Yeah I remember those girls. And they came to more than one party. Let me guess, they got arrested for drunk driving or something." He said, smirking. "Try guessing they were killed." JJ said, frowning. "Well I didn't kill them. The hell do you want with me?" He asked, that smirk disappearing. "I don't remember saying you did. We're trying to figure out if you noticed anyone who looked suspicious. They might've been following these girls or watching them." Victoria stated, gathering up the pictures. "Look I hold massive parties here. I can't keep track of three girls who came just to get high or get wasted. Now if you could be leaving-" 

 

"Exactly what do they have to get high off of?" Victoria said quickly, her eyes narrowing. "I..what..?" "You heard me." "Look I just supply booze okay. I don't know what they bring!" He said quickly, holding up his hands. "Sure you don't. JJ, I think it's time we get going. Penelope can probably find out anything else we need, right?" "She most certainly can." JJ replied, smirking as she headed to the door. "O-Okay wait! I might've seen someone a little out of place." He said, gaining their attention once more. "Oh? And who would that be?" Victoria asked, eyebrow raised. "I dunno. Some old woman-" "Yes because you're clearly in your twenties right." Victoria said, rolling her eyes. "Look she seemed about 30 or 40 okay I dunno. Most people that come here are in there 20's." "Or younger." JJ said, staring at him. "What? No! I make sure people have ID before they even enter the door." He stated. "Oh that's good but um, what do they call those ID's that aren't real umm, JJ help me out here.." "Oh you mean fake IDs? I hear they're quite popular for kids wanting to get into clubs, bars, and oh! Parties." She said, the two of them frowning at the man. "What did the woman look like." Victoria stated, growing tired of the guy. "Older. Brunette. Her hair was a mess. Seemed to be glaring at any hot blonde that passed her by. She even threw a drink on one girl, saying she ruined her life or something. I had her kicked out." He said, letting out a sigh. "You could've just said all that earlier instead of wasting our time. But thank you for your cooperation." Victoria said, the two women heading out the door. "Well, we've got some information. And we confirmed our unsub is more than likely a woman." Said JJ, earning a nod from the other woman. "It's a start. Seems to be getting late, though. I guess we'll report this to Hotch and then start again tomorrow?" Victoria asked, entering the vehicle. "Yup. Now, we've got a long drive back. Plenty of time to get to know one another, huh?" JJ said, smiling at the woman. "Definitely. Prepare to enter the strange world of Agent Victoria Holsen." 

 

~Back To The Station~ 

 

As the two women entered the building, Victoria took a moment to button up her coat once more, stuffing her hands into her pockets afterwards. "Hey. What'd you two- um JJ?" Morgan said, confused as the woman dragged him and Rossi off to the side. "Huh. She's been acting strange for the last ten minutes." Victoria said, raising her eyebrows. "What did you two learn?" Hotch asked, grabbing her attention. "Well there's a chance the woman we're looking for is a brunette in her 30's or 40's. Sadly that's all we could get. Also someone might wanna get a warrant on that guy's house, pretty sure he has drugs in there somewhere." Victoria said, chuckling as Hotch gave her a small smile. Her attention turned to the map, "ooh colors. Are those where all the victims were found?" She asked, moving closer to the board. "Yes. Reid figured it was-" "ten mile radius. Doesn't really travel far for dumping her victims. Speaking of Reid, where'd he go? I noticed he was missing when we came in." She said, turning back to Hotch. "He's getting coffee. By any chance, did you tell JJ how much you knew?" Hotch asked, earning a nod in response. "That explains her strange behavior then. They're used to only one genius in the room. I'm sure they'll warm up to you quite soon though." Hotch said, giving her a genuine smile. "JJ was right, you really aren't always serious." She said, chuckling softly. "What were you two discussing?" Hotch asked, seeming rather curious. "You don't wanna know." She replied, smirking. "This thing is getting a bit too warm now." She muttered, unbuttoning her coat once more and sliding it off. 

 

"Hotch!" Victoria and Hotch turned their attention towards the door, noticing a rather surprised Morgan and slightly amused Rossi coming in, JJ following the two. "You knew all along, didn't you?" Morgan said, definitely stunned by whatever JJ had revealed. "I'm not sure what you mean." Hotch said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Why didn't you tell anyone that Holsen was a- wow." Everyone turned their attention to her as she hung her coat on the back of a chair. Noticing it was suddenly quiet, she looked up. "What's wrong?" She asked, confused. "I know I said earlier I'd love to see what was under that coat but man. Not exactly what I was expecting." Morgan said, looking the woman up and down. "While Derek picks his jaw up from the floor, I'm more interested in your waist." Rossi said, smiling. "Didn't you tell them anything about me?" Victoria asked Hotch, rolling her eyes when he simply shook his head no. "I guess I could explain it now." He said, obviously amused by this. "Explain what?" Rossi and JJ stepped out the doorway, allowing Reid to enter the room. "How special agent Holsen seems to be." Hotch said, walking over to stand next to her. "Her eye color is just one of many unique characteristics about her. As I mentioned earlier, she has the best vision humanly possible standing at 20/8. Along with a very powerful mind." Hotch said, turning to the woman who let out a nervous laugh. "It's not that big of a deal, really." She stated softly, lightly scratching her cheek. "It's still rather interesting. She also shares one thing with you, Reid." The boy genius looked confused, his eyes finally landing on the red eyed woman. He hadn't noticed she'd removed her coat until now. "She's a genius, Spence. Just like you." JJ said, staring at the woman with a smile. Victoria casually strolled over to the man, a slight smile on her face. "It's nice to finally meet another genius." She said, giggling softly as Reid just stared in shock. "Thanks for this." She said quickly, walking away with Reid's cup of coffee. Finally realizing what happened, Spencer looked down at his now empty hands. "Wha-hey!" He said, earning a giggle as she took a sip. "Extremely sweet. But not bad." She said, smiling. He could only stand there with a slight pout, watching his poor coffee disappear as his friends chuckled next to him. "I'll make you another cup, I promise." She said, patting his shoulder as she left the room. "Alright everyone, it's late. We'll pick up on this first thing tomorrow morning." Hotch said, dismissing the team. 

 

~Time Skip~ 

 

Feeling satisfied after a hot shower, Victoria sat on her bed in her hotel room. She giggled to herself as she remembered the look on Reid's face when he learned she was a genius. And the look on his face when she took his coffee. She smiled as she recalled getting to know JJ, who she considered to be a very kind woman. She remembered JJ being the first to mention how she enjoyed her eyes, a sense of joy and warmth filling her as she realized none of them had a problem with it. She snapped out of her thoughts as someone knocked on her door, standing up from her comfortable spot. "Who is it?" She called, standing by the door. "It's me, Spencer." Well that was certainly a surprise. Checking through the peephole, she confirmed it was him and opened the door, giving him a small smile. "And just what brings you to my room this evening, doctor." She asked, giggling softly as he tried to cast his eyes elsewhere. "I was w-wondering if we could talk..?" He asked softly, his eyes finally fixing on hers. Giving a slight nod, she stepped back a little, allowing him in. "I'm sorry about the lack of clothing, by the way. But nightgowns and lingerie are simply my choice of pajamas." She stated plainly, putting on the robe that lay on her bed. "It's f-fine." He said, finally looking at her once the robe was tied tight. "You're still dressed?" She asked, sitting on her bed once more. "Yeah, I was still going over the case some." "I see. What did you want to talk about, Reid? And you can relax some, I may have red eyes but that doesn't mean I bite." She said giggling as he relaxed some. "I never assumed you'd bite. I'm actually fascinated by the fact you have red eyes. You know, red eyes are-" "the second rarest color, along with violet. Only color more rare than either is green. I'm fully aware." She said, giggling as he gave her a smile. "If you don't mind me asking, what is your IQ?" She said, leaning forward slightly. "187. What's yours?" He replied, moving closer to the bed and taking a seat. "Only 194." She stated simply, sitting cross legged on the bed. "Along with an eidetic memory and reading 23,000 words per minute but I never really mention all of that. Unless I'm asked, of course." She said, running a hand through her hair. "You have an eidetic memory..?" He asked, causing her to chuckle as his voice cracked slightly. "Indeed. Just like you." "How did you-?" "I was already aware of your IQ and everything. The same way I was aware of your name. I just wanted to get you to relax a bit by striking up a conversation. Seems like it worked." She said, giggling before letting out a small yawn. "If you're tired, I can leave." He said, starting to get up. "I'm fine." She stated quickly, placing a hand on his shoulder and sitting him down. "You're the only one I haven't really gotten to know so far. I got to talk to Derek on the way here and I talked to JJ earlier. Hotch and I had been talking long before today. And as you know, I already know Uncle Rossi. So, Doctor Spencer Reid, let's talk." She said, giving him a warm smile.


	4. Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to get this case all wrapped up! And a new person will be getting introduced. But who? Let's see.

Victoria let out a yawn, taking another large sip of coffee. "Had a long night?" Rossi asked, taking a seat across from her. "Kind of. I wanted to get to know everyone a bit better. Last night, Reid stopped by and we struck up a conversation. Little did I know he'd be there for 6 hours, 33 minutes, and 47 seconds." She said tiredly, resting her head on the table. "The way you two can just keep track of time is scary sometimes. But, I guess when you sit two geniuses in a room together, something like that is bound to happen. Speaking of striking up conversations, you still never explained something to me." He said, patting her head as she rested on the table. "I'm allowed to carry two guns because of my sight, apparently. It's not a case of one as a backup weapon either, I can just use both. Tends to be more useful when a lot of shit goes down." She muttered, drinking more of her coffee. Rossi chuckled as she let out a whine, her coffee cup now empty. "Allow me to get you more of your life in a cup." He said, smiling as he took her cup and left the room. Victoria rose from her seat, eyeing their evidence board. A possible brunette woman in her 40's with possible medical practice and a hatred for young blondes. That was the profile they'd managed to throw together, thinking perhaps a woman similar to the victims took something away from their unsub. With Garcia looking into it, there was a major chance this case could be solved very soon. But there was something Victoria still couldn't understand. The removal of the nails, eyes and lips made sense, removing anything that might've added to their beauty. But the stream of blood tears. Just a signature, or something significant to the unsub? 

 

"Notice something else?" Victoria jolted slightly as she quickly whipped her head around, letting out a sigh as JJ and Spencer both gave her a smile. "Not really. It's just these blood tears, I still can't understand why she does them." She said, turning back to the board. "It could just be a signature. Sometimes there's no specific reason for our unsubs to do things like that." Said JJ, standing next to her. "I can understand that. But something is just screaming at me that there's something behind that, and I wanna know what." She said, narrowing her eyes at the pictures. "It could be a condition of the unsub's." JJ suggested. "Haemolacria." Victoria and Spencer looked at each other, eyebrows raised. "Wow Spence, looks like you've got some competition now." Said JJ, smirking at the pair. "Oh don't be silly. I don't wanna compete with a fellow genius when we could be working together. Besides, he makes a terrific cup of coffee." Said Victoria, raising a cup of coffee before walking away. Spencer glanced down at his hands, which were empty once again. "How do you keep doing that??" He said, completely stumped while JJ suppressed a laugh. "I've been stealing my father's coffee out of his hands for years now. Rossi should be bringing me a cup quite soon, so get that one." She said, smirking as she took a sip and left the room. "Please remind me to stay at least 10 feet away from her." Spencer said, frowning slightly as JJ just chuckled. "Oh come on, Spence. She isn't that bad. She's just very addicted to coffee." Said JJ, taking a sip from her own cup. "Well that's easy for you to say. Why didn't she steal your cup then?" He said, frowning more as JJ just shrugged. "Guess she just likes your coffee." She said, smiling as she sat on the edge of the table. 

 

"Who likes pretty boy's 'coffee'?" Said Morgan, smirking as he entered the room. "Victoria." They both replied, JJ's smile growing as Morgan shook his head. "Stole it from you again huh. Gotta hold your cup a little tighter now, Reid." He said, patting the other man on the back. "Alright Victoria, here's your- where'd she go?" Said Rossi, entering the room with her cup. "Gone. Took Reid's cup with her." Morgan said, smiling as Rossi shook his head. "Then I guess this is for you." He said, walking over and handing Spencer the cup. "She's always had quite the sweet tooth, from what I heard. It's why I always took her candy if I knew I was gonna see her. If you keep using 50 packets of sugar in your coffee, you'll never even get a sip with her nearby." Rossi said with a laugh. "It's just the way I like mine." Said Spencer, finally taking a sip of coffee. It was just as sweet as his own. "Well then, hold your cup as tight as you can." Said Rossi, sitting in a chair. "Exactly what I said." Said Morgan, shaking his head with a smile. "Everyone." Everyone turned their attention to the door, Hotch walking in with Victoria right behind him. "We might have our unsub. Go ahead Garcia." He said, placing his phone in the center of the table. "Alright so, I did my digging for brunette women in their 40's with medical practice and live within the area. Turns out there's a lot more than I realized and I was at a stand still for a little while. Only for a little while because thanks to agent Holsen for mentioning that condition, the Haem-whatever you call it, I landed on one single woman. Katherine Summers, 43 year old brunette who recently got her divorce finalized after filing it three years ago, after her husband cheated on her with his 23 year old mistress and you can guess just what color her hair is." "Blonde." Said JJ, crossing her arms. "Correct, my fellow blonde. And get this, a week before our first victim was taken, Katherine's ex-husband married the same mistress." Said Garcia. "Talk about a stressor." Said Rossi, raising an eyebrow. "I've sent her home and work addresses to all your phones." She said, the sound of her quick typing in the background. "Thanks Garcia." Said Hotch, grabbing his phone and hanging up. "Holsen and I will go to her job. The rest of you head to her home. Let's move." 

 

~Time Skip~ 

 

Hotch and Holsen arrived at her workplace pretty quickly, which happened to be a nearby hospital. Suited up in their vests, they made their way inside and up to the front desk. The receptionist immediately noticed their presence, hanging up her phone call pretty quickly. "We're looking for doctor Katherine Summers." Said Hotch, Victoria scanning around the area. "She called in sick early this morning. She's been doing that a lot lately, is everything alright??" She asked, slightly worried. "Everything is fine. Thank you." The two of them made their way out, heading back to the SUV as Hotch pulled out his phone. "Morgan, she isn't here. Any luck at her house?" Said Hotch, getting in the vehicle and closing the passenger door. "Her house is empty too. Looks like she hasn't been here in a while, actually." Said Morgan. "Hang on a minute." Hotch started to dial a number in his phone, the line barely ringing once before Garcia picked up. "Garcia, she isn't at home or at work. Is there a secondary location she might've gone to." Hotch asked, immediately receiving the sound of rapid typing in the background. Let's see here..oh, yes! Yes, when the divorce was finalized, she got to keep a cabin that she and her husband used to get away in. I've sent you all the address and..oh no." She said. "What is it Garcia?" Hotch asked. "Her ex-husband just reported his new wife missing about an hour ago." "Alright we're on our way. Morgan, we'll meet you all there." Said Hotch, hanging up as Victoria pulled out of the parking lot. "I get the feeling she won't hold his wife for the same amount of time." Said Victoria, her eyes focused on the road. "You're probably right. If she truly believes this is the woman that destroyed her life, then she'll want her gone and fast. We've gotta hurry." Said Hotch, sitting back as Victoria turned on the siren and pushed on the gas pedal. 

 

~Another Time Skip~ 

 

As the two pulled up to the cabin, the rest of the team arrived shortly after. Everyone exited their vehicles, weapons drawn as they moved toward the cabin. Moving up the ramp, Hotch gave a slight nod as Morgan kicked open the door. "FBI!" He yelled, glancing around the room before putting away his weapon. He quickly made his way to the young blonde woman in the middle of the blood stained floor, freeing her from her restraints. "Ma'am, where'd she go?" He asked, carefully standing her up. "I don't know. She, she just ran out the back. Just get me out of here!" She cried, blood running down the side of her head. Without a word, Victoria booked it out the open back door, hopping over the wooden railing and taking off into the trees behind the cabin. Her eyes frantically searched the area around her, suddenly spotting brown movement to her right. "Katherine Summers!" She yelled, high tailing it in the woman's direction. It didn't take long before she started to close the distance, tackling the woman to the ground once she was close enough. Immediately getting to her feet, Victoria drew one of her weapons, pointing directly at the woman. "Don't you move. Katherine Summers, you're under arrest." 

 

~Arriving Home!~ 

 

"Seriously, you're gonna have to show me how you can run in heels like that." Said JJ, sharing a laugh with the other woman. "Years of practice, trust me. Good exercise too. Really works the calves" Victoria said, smiling as they all walked into the office. "Well, what a pleasant welcome home." Said Rossi, smiling at Garcia as she held a tray of drinks. "I figured we should celebrate a little! Have a nice little welcome party for our new friend and-woah.." she said quietly, handing the tray to Rossi as she went over to Victoria. "Red. Eyes red. I mean your eyes are red. When I saw you before they were blue and now they're red how did you-" "Contacts." Victoria said, giggling as Garcia just stared in awe. "That is so cool and gorgeous and amazing and..! And..!" Garcia froze mid sentence, narrowing her eyes as she suddenly started hitting Morgan on the arm. "Ow! Hey hey, why am I suddenly being attacked here?" He asked, grabbing her hands. "Derek Morgan why didn't you tell me she had red eyes!" Garcia said, frowning as everyone laughed. "I figured that was something you needed to see for yourself, baby girl." He said, laughing as she hit his arm again. "I'm certainly gonna enjoy working here." Victoria said, smiling as she grabbed a drink and walked over to her empty desk. She dropped her bag and placed her drink on the desk, starting to remove her coat. "We certainly welcome you to the team, Victoria. I wish I could stay but if you'd all excuse me, I've got some paperwork to do." Said Hotch, grabbing a drink and giving everyone a smile before heading up to his office. As everyone grabbed a glass, Morgan let out a whistle as he turned his attention to Victoria, who was bent over and tucking her coat into her bag. "Stare all you please, Derek Morgan, but you touch it and that'll be your end." She said, standing up and turning around, sticking her tongue out. "You know something. That might just be worth dying for." He said, smirking as she rolled her eyes. "Besides, I wasn't the only one staring. Isn't that right, Reid." He said, patting the man on the back before walking away quickly. Meanwhile, Spencer nearly choked on his drink. "I-what? I wasn't-!" "Oh, Spencer." Victoria said, picking up her drink and making her way towards him, shaking her head. "I'm surprised at you. Catching little sneak peeks at my behind. Oh how could you." She teased, pouting as she sipped her drink. "B-But I wasn't..! Morgan just..I mean he just..I wouldn't-" "Take a breath, silly." She said, giggling. "I'm only joking with you. I know Morgan was lying. Jeez, I feel a bit bad. You're more red than this drink. I'm sorry." She said, smiling at him and patting his shoulder. "It's..it's fine." He said, thankful she didn't think he'd actually been looking. 

 

 

Or at least, he hadn't been staring...

 

"Excuse me. I'm looking for a young, cute ball of energy somewhere." Everyone turned their attention to the door, slightly surprised by the shriek that came from Victoria. "Daddy!" She squealed, putting her drink down as she ran into his arms. She giggled as he picked her up and spun her around a few times before finally sitting her back down. "There's my little jumpy bug. How are you, sweetheart." He said, rubbing her head, smiling at the little squeak she let out. "I'm doing wonderful, dad. Oh! Allow me to introduce my new team. This is Agent Jennifer Jareau. She's just one of the amazing people on this team." Victoria said, smiling. "Very nice to meet you, Agent Jareau." He said, shaking her hand. "Please, just call me JJ. And it's wonderful to meet you too, sir. I've heard a lot about you and your work." She said, smiling. "Thank you, and all good things I hope." He said, smiling. "Next up, this is the team's technical analyst, Penelope Garcia." "Very nice to meet you, Ms. Garcia." He said, shaking her hand. "It's an honor to meet you, sir. I've read a lot about you and the cases you've worked on. Oh and you can just call me Garcia. Or Penelope. Either one." She said, smiling as he chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." "Next up we have Doctor Spencer Reid." Victoria said, her smile slightly growing. "Doctor, huh?" Her father said, smirking. "Not that kind of doctor, dad." She said, rolling her eyes. "Either way, it's nice to meet you, Dr. Reid." He said, extending his hand. "It's nice to meet you too and uh, I don't really shake hands. The number of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering, it'd actually be safer to kiss." Spencer said, smiling slightly. Victoria's father glanced at her. "Genius?" He asked, chuckling as she nodded. "That explains it then. The number of random facts I've heard from this one over the years is even more staggering." He said, smiling. "And lastly but not least, we have Agent Derek Morgan. Meet my star of a father, Derek." Victoria said, smiling as he walked over. "It's great to meet you, sir. You've got yourself a pretty great daughter here." Morgan said, shaking the man's hand with a smile. "Thank you. I'd like to say I think I did a good job but honestly she's so smart it might've been her own self teaching." He said, laughing. "Certainly a terrific team you have here, little bug. And everyone, please, just call me Charles. No sirs, no Mr. Holsen, just Charles." "I think I'll just stick with old pal." Rossi said, smiling as he walked over. "Aah, Dave. It's great to see you! It's been what, five years since our last meeting? I thought you'd retired, bud?" Charles said, the two sharing a quick hug. "I was, but, it's a long story. A story better told in my office over a glass of alcohol or two. Care to join me?" Said Rossi, smiling as Charles happily agreed. "Thanks for stealing my dad, uncle Rossi." Victoria said, giggling as she grabbed her drink. "Not a problem. I get to tell him all about his little girls' first takedown." He said, smiling as the two headed upstairs. "Oh I can't wait to hear that. And you take off those boots, young lady!" "Not happening, dad!" She said quickly, rolling her eyes as she took a sip of her drink. 

 

"Well your dad is very nice." JJ said, smiling. "He's quite the character." Victoria said, smiling. "He's done quite a lot of work in his time, hasn't he?" Spencer asked. "He certainly has. And even in retirement, he still is." She replied, sitting on the edge of a desk. "I'm more interested in how you got the nickname jumpy bug." Morgan said, smiling. "Well, you heard my father when he came in, looking for a ball of energy. I was a rather bouncy child, so my mom would call me her little jumpy bug. It stuck over the years." Victoria said, a warm smile on her face. "I'm totally calling you that from now on." Said Garcia, the two of them laughing together. "Fine by me. Well now, cheers everyone!" She said, smiling as she raised her glass. 

 

"Cheers!"


	5. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After weeks of work, work, and more work, it's time to finally have a night out together.

It had been a month since the ladies had planned to go out together, but things hadn't worked out for them. From back to back cases to loads of paperwork following every case, it seemed as if no one would have time for themselves. But now it was a Friday, and everyone was finishing up what little work they had left, ready for the weekend. Victoria rested her feet on top of her desk, crossing her ankles as she read through her book. Her and JJ had been the first to finish their work, being able to kick back and relax for a while. "You know almost every guy in the office has been staring at you, right." JJ asked, sitting on the corner of the dark hair woman's desk. "It's not my fault it's scorching hot outside. I would've worn stockings but it's just too hot." Victoria whined playfully, smirking as JJ shook her head with a smile. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you wore this skirt on purpose." Said JJ, her smile widening as Victoria gasped. "Why, I would never! It was simply a choice due to the weather. The heels are just an added touch." She said, the two of them laughing quietly. "Besides, my legs aren't exactly special. I've seen better." Victoria said, returning to her book. "You're kidding, right." JJ said, staring at her in slight disbelief. "Not even a little." Victoria muttered, turning pages in her book. JJ just shook her head and stood up, making her way up the stairs. 

 

"And what were you two discussing?" Morgan asked, taking the spot JJ was in. "My skirt." Victoria said simply, taking a sip of her soda before turning another page. "That's certainly a good topic. I could talk about that myself." Morgan said, smiling as Victoria shook her head. "Of course you could, Derek. How about you find JJ and discuss it with her. I'm reading here. Shoo shoo." She said, waving the man away. "Oh that's just hurtful. But I think your book will have to wait. JJ's coming now, and she's bringing company." He said, chuckling as Victoria shut her book. "Madam jumpy bug, what is this I hear about you thinking those sexy things you call legs are just average?" Garcia said, making her way over. "Madam jumpy bug. I like that. And they are average." Victoria said, shrugging slightly. "Alright little missy, stand up. Don't argue with me. Up up." Garcia said, spinning the woman's chair around and helping her up. "Why are my legs such a big deal??" Victoria asked, leaning against her desk. "Because if you don't think your legs are a thing of beauty then there's something seriously wrong with you." JJ said, crossing her arms. "They're LEGS. It's not like I said the rest of my body wasn't a thing of beauty. I know that for a fact." She said, giggling. "Good. So now you just gotta realize how gorgeous your legs are. Gimme a leg." Garcia said, holding out her hand. Victoria let out a sigh, rolling her eyes as she easily lifted her leg and let it fall into Garcia's hand. "Now look. Smooth looking. Extremely soft. Quite long. Very well toned. Absolutely gorgeous." Garcia said, placing her leg down. "Oh I know. I just wanted to see how far you all would go with this." Victoria said, laughing as JJ and Garcia rolled their eyes. "Do you really think I'd exercise as much as I do and not realize just how much it's paying off? I'm a lovely woman amongst beautiful friends. Said friends are obsessed about my legs but that's fine too." She said, giggling as Garcia gave her a little push. "Now can I please get back to my book?" She said, shooing away her friends as she sat in her chair, placing her legs on her desk and returning to her book. 

 

~Time Skip~ 

 

"Holsen. Holsen. Victoria, wake up." Red irises were revealed as Victoria slowly opened her eyes, yawning softly as she slowly sat up. "What time is it..?" She asked quietly, rubbing her eyes. "It's 9:30. You've been asleep for almost eight hours." Said Reid, taking a step back as she rose from her seat, taking a stretch. "Is that so. I certainly feel well rested." She said, smiling as she smoothed out her skirt. "You haven't been sleeping well lately, have you?" He asked, earning a head shake. "Not really. But I've always been a bit of a night owl, so it's fine. Seems like everyone has gone home, huh." She said, looking around. "Yeah. JJ wanted to wake you up on her way out, but I told her I'd do it before I left." He said, smiling. "Well, I thank you very much. Now I think it's time for us to be leaving." She said, smiling as she grabbed her trench coat. "Why did you bring that today? It was 81 degrees outside." He asked, walking next to her. "It tends to get cooler at night, you know. Not wearing much during the day can bite me in the ass at night." She said, thanking him as he opened the door for her. "I can understand that. But why did you wear that skirt..?" He asked, pressing the elevator button. "I thought it was cute. Don't you think it's cute, Spencer?" She said, giggling as he clutched the strap of his bag a little tighter. "I'm kidding. I figured since this was just a day of paperwork, it'd be better than jeans. Certainly more suitable for today's weather as well." "But what if we got called out for a case?" He asked, walking behind her as she stepped into the elevator. "Then I'd have to be running around in a skirt and high heels. Wouldn't be such a bad thing, though." She said, chuckling softly. "But-" "Boy, you ask a lot of questions. It's only a skirt, silly. What, you don't like it?" She asked, looking at him. "I-It's not that. It actually s-suits you well. It's just..doesn't all that attention bother you..?" He asked, taking a quick glance at her legs. "Not really. I tend to ignore looks most of the time. I didn't realize people in the office were staring until JJ mentioned it." She said, stepping out of the elevator, her heels clicking against the ground. "You notice when people stare at your eyes." He blurted out, stopping as she stopped in her tracks. Letting out a sigh, she turned around and faced him. 

 

"That's simply because I can't miss those stares. It's rather strange the way the human mind works. It tends to miss the good things but it intercepts on the bad things rather quickly. So, while I ignore attention from those staring at my body because it sticks out well in whatever I wear, I can't exactly miss when people look at me in disgust because of the rare gene I happened to pick up somehow. Especially when said gene is a part of what I notice said looks with. It's hard to miss those silently judging you without knowing a damn thing about you, profiler or not. But, I must say, being a profiler makes it easier to notice." She turned around once more, starting her walk to her car again until Spencer grabbed her arm. "It's not a bad thing." He said quickly, slowly releasing her arm as she turned towards him once more. "Having red eyes. It's not a bad thing. It's actually something very unique and special that you possess alongside your intelligence and exceptional vision. I get that the constant looks from people can be hurtful, maybe even annoying, but it doesn't make it a bad thing just because they don't understand." He said, smiling slightly. Victoria just stared at him, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "That's probably the nicest thing I've heard someone say in a long time. Thank you." She said, smiling brightly. "Come on. After this, the least I could do is give you a ride home." She said, grabbing his arm and pulling him along. "You really don't have to-" "But I want to. So I'm going to. No arguing." Stopping next to her car, she reached into her coat pocket, pulling out her keys. Unlocking the car, she got into the drivers seat, starting the car and rolling down the window. "Get in silly!" She said, smiling. "I don't think-" "Spencer Reid, so help me if you don't get into this car I will back up, run over your legs, break them both, and drag you in." She said, giggling as he quickly got in afterwards. "Now that's better. Address please." She said, putting his address into her phone and heading off. "Oh, JJ mentioned earlier that she'd be by your house tomorrow night at 8." Spencer said, glancing over at her. "Ah, she doesn't have to pick me up. I can gladly drive. I'll just call her in the morning." She said, her eyes focused on the road. "Isn't it hard for you to focus while driving..?" He asked. "Sometimes, but at this point not really. I get where you're coming from, though. So many things swirling in your head, it's not easy to concentrate. But it takes a while to suppress those things when it counts. Also takes a lot of willpower, but it's possible. Definitely definitely possible." She said, smiling as she pulled up to his building. "Thank you for the ride." He said, giving her a smile. "Not a problem. It was the least I can do. And Spencer?" She said softly, motioning him a little closer with her finger. As he leaned over, she moved closer, kissing his cheek. "Thanks again." She said, giggling as he only nodded. She smiled as he grabbed his bag and got out, giving him a slight wave as he headed into his building. She let out a soft sigh, glancing around before pulling off. 

 

~Girls Night~ 

 

Victoria glanced in the mirror one last time, brushing out her hair. Despite trying to convince JJ she could drive herself, JJ just said she'd be more than happy to come get her once she picked up Penelope. Tugging on her jacket, she grabbed her phone off the bed as it started to vibrate, noticing a text from JJ. Grabbing her wallet and keys, she made her way out the door and headed downstairs. Making her way out the front door of her apartment building, she gave the women a small wave as she walked to the car. "Well look at the lady in black!" Said Garcia, smiling as Victoria got into the vehicle. "You do look fantastic, Victoria." Said JJ, smiling at the woman before pulling off. "Thanks. You guys look great yourselves." She said, leaning forward in her seat. "So ladies, where are we heading tonight?" She asked. "Penelope found some new place downtown. Apparently it's pretty popular." Said JJ, her eyes focusing on the road. "Extremely popular, as a matter of fact. Who knows, there's a good chance for two of us to get lucky tonight." Garcia said, smiling wide. "I'm not sure about that, miss Garcia. I just wanna go out and have fun tonight." Victoria said, giggling. "You can always have fun after going out, you know. Just behind closed doors." Said JJ, glancing in the mirror with a smirk before focusing on the road. "We'll see how this night goes." Victoria said, smiling. 

 

As they finally arrived, JJ found a place to park and they all exited the vehicle. Making their way inside, Victoria trailed behind the two as they entered the building. It was a nice bar, already packed with people. The trio took a seat on bar stools at the bar, Victoria sitting in the middle of the group. "You're right about one thing, Penelope. This place is definitely extremely popular." Said JJ, glancing around. "Absolutely. But it has a nice atmosphere to it. Now I don't know about you two, but I'm in need of a drink. Possibly many." Said Victoria, laughing with the two. "Evening ladies! What can I get for you?" The bartender asked, giving them a smile. "Hmm. I'll start off with a cocktail." Said JJ, smiling. "I think I'll have the same for now." Garcia said. "I'll take a sex on the beach, please." Victoria said, chuckling as Penelope nudged her side. "Ooh starting off big, huh?" She said, laughing. "It's one of my favorites. The drink is pretty good too." Victoria said, laughing. "So what time did you get home last night?" Asked JJ, thanking the bartender as he gave them their drinks. "It was 10:15. I hadn't even meant to fall asleep, honestly. Thankfully, Spencer woke me up before it was too late." She said, eating the cherry from her drink. "Oh, right. He did offer to wake you up before he left. What did you two discuss, hmm?" JJ asked, a smirk on her face. "My skirt. He had a few questions about it, actually. He also really had something nice to say about my eyes. Saying it's not a bad thing to have red eyes." Victoria said, smiling warmly. "Oh. OH. Oh you like him don't you?" Garcia said giddily. "Eh. He's fuckable." Victoria said before taking a sip of her drink, raising an eyebrow as the other two choked on theirs. "What's wrong?" "Could you repeat that please??" JJ said, her eyes wide with slight shock. "I said he's fuckable. What, you don't think so?" Victoria said, raising an eyebrow. "It's not that. It's just that's probably the most interesting response I've ever heard." JJ said, laughing slightly. "Same here. But I guess that counts as a yes." Garcia said, chuckling. "I've only known him a month, you guys. I can't fully decide if I like him or not yet." Victoria said, drinking. "I think the term 'fuckable' counts as liking him." Said JJ, laughing. "You don't have to like someone to screw them. Believe me." Victoria said, staring at the wall of bottles in front of her as she finished her drink. "Oh? Care to explain? And by explain I mean who, what, when, and where? Maybe even why?" Garcia said, quickly downing her cocktail and leaning closer in interest. 

 

"Happened when I was in college." She said plainly, pushing the empty glass away from her. "But weren't you in college at-" "14, yes. I was young. And it shouldn't have happened." Waving over the bartender, Victoria ordered a refill, along with a shot of vodka. "It was that bad..?" JJ asked, finishing her own drink. "It was absolutely and utterly awful." She said, her eyes taking on a slightly dull look. "Wow. What was his name??" "Uh, Penelope, I think we should change the subject." JJ said quickly, watching Victoria casually stir her drink around. "But I just-!" "Garcia." JJ said firmly, shaking her head at the woman. "Fine fine. We'll forget about it. But in the meantime, I'll be telling Reid about this." Garcia said, smirking. "Oh you better not." Victoria said, narrowing her eyes at the woman with a playful smirk. "Just watch me, little lady. Now then." Garcia ordered two rounds of shots for them. "Less speaking, more drinking. Let us celebrate, ladies." She said, raising a glass, smiling as they all toasted. Victoria and Penelope quickly downed theirs, smiling and laughing together. JJ just held her glass, watching Victoria closely, that dull look never leaving her eyes. "Come on JJ, that drink won't just hop into your mouth." Victoria said, nudging her. JJ gave her a smile, shaking her head as she finally downed the drink.


	6. Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been six months and Victoria is finally settled in with her new team! But will they be able to save her before it's too late?

"Guys, this isn't funny." Spencer muttered, letting out a sigh as he sat at his desk. "Oh come on, kid. It's not that bad." Morgan said, holding back laughter. "That's easy for you to say! You aren't being assaulted here!" "Oh come on, Spence. I wouldn't call it assault. More like, interesting obsession." JJ said, laughing. Spencer groaned as he rested his head on his desk, still not safe as Victoria ran her fingers through his hair. "It's like a cloud..!" She said softly, giggling as he groaned again. "It's not my fault your hair is soft. I just can't help it, I have a natural attraction to soft things." She whined as Spencer finally stood up, moving his head out of her reach. "Isn't your hair soft? Or touch JJ's, I'm sure it's soft." He said, hiding behind Morgan, who was too busy laughing to help. "I touch mine every single day. And I've already had my phase of touching JJ's hair, as well as Penelope's. Yours is the only head I haven't really touched yet, and I'm pretty sure it's even softer than mine! Which I'm a bit jealous of, by the way. Now then, come come. Let mama Tori touchy." Victoria said, wiggling her fingers as she moved towards him. The two geniuses played ring around the rosie with Morgan as he just stood in the middle, laughing his head off. "Reid, you might as well let her get it over with. This woman will chase you till the end of time just to do that." He said, stepping out of the way. Victoria, somehow being the quicker of the two even though she stood in heels, easily grabbed her target, pushing him towards his desk. "Siiiit. Sit sit." She said, sitting him down in his chair. "Listen, Christmas is in two weeks. I am touching this short, curly, and soft cloud as much as I want before that time comes. Consider it a birthday gift from you." She said, giggling as she ran her fingers through his hair once more. "When exactly is your birthday, Tori?" JJ asked, smiling as she watched the pair. She'd been the one who started calling Victoria 'Tori', deciding a nickname other than jumpy bug was certainly needed. "It is Christmas Eve, actually. My father was rather tempted to change it to Christmas Day, considering I was apparently born about 15 minutes before midnight. Unfortunately my mother stopped him." Victoria said, smiling as she continued to play with Reid's hair. "Let me get this straight. Not only do you have red eyes, crazy good eyesight, good aim and accuracy, you can run in neck-breaking heels, and you're a genius, but now you're trying to tell me that you're a Christmas Eve baby? You've gotta be joking." Morgan said, shaking his head. "I'm a very special child." Victoria said, giggling. "Is there anything that isn't special about you?" Morgan asked, rubbing her back. "Well I-" "she has an unnatural obsession with my hair." Spencer said, smiling slightly as the three of them laughed. "Oh but Spencer," she said, moving close to his ear. "How do you know I don't just have an unnatural obsession with you, hmm?" She whispered, giggling as his eyes went wide. "Ooh, does someone have themselves a crush?" JJ teased, smirking as she nudged the other woman with her elbow. "A crush? Me? Oh don't be silly. That is something Agent Victoria Holsen shall never reveal, whether it is true or false." She said, finally removing her hands from Spencer's head. "It's a crush." JJ and Morgan said simultaneously, laughing as Victoria rolled her eyes. "Believe what you wish, I shall never tell." She said, crossing her arms with a smirk. "I don't think it's a crush." Everyone turned their attention to Spencer, who was busy reading through a book. "What makes you so sure, Reid?" Morgan asked, eyebrow raised. "It's become somewhat easy to deter whether Victoria is joking or not by sound of her voice. I think it's safe to say she's joking." He said simply. Victoria raised an eyebrow as she went to speak, not getting the chance to. "Everyone. It's time." Hotch said from above the bullpen, heading into their usual meeting room. "Back to usual." Morgan said, walking alongside Reid once he got up from his chair. Meanwhile, Victoria and JJ hung back a little. "You weren't joking at all, were you." JJ said, more as a statement than a question. "Not in the slightest." Victoria said plainly, grabbing her coat off the back of her chair as her and JJ made their way up. 

 

~Straight To The Jet~ 

 

"How the hell have six women been abducted and we're just now finding out about this because three have been found dead?" Victoria said, annoyed as she went through the case information. "They couldn't connect the abductions. With these women all being a different race and having different backgrounds, each abduction was considered separate." Hotch explained. "So we're starting this with three of the six missing girls already dead, and we have nothing to help us find the others. Fantastic." Victoria let out a sigh as she closed her folder, rubbing her forehead. "Holsen-" "I know, I know. You've seen this face before and I've heard that tone before. I'm not gonna start anything there, trust me." She said, raising her hands. "Good. We were invited to help them with this case, so I'll be trusting you." He said, glancing through his own folder. "Two blondes, two brunettes, one red head and one with black hair. The two blondes and one brunette are dead, so what made this guy keep the other half?" Rossi questioned. "And how did he take them all without a trace? I mean everything was wiped out. Texts, emails, everything." JJ said, shaking her head. "Guys, I've got bad news." Everyone turned their attention to Hotch's laptop. "What's wrong, Garcia?" Victoria asked, concerned. "About two hours ago, two more blondes were reported missing. 22 year old Sally Simpson and 25 year old Madeline Hamilton." Garcia said sadly. "They've found replacements, apparently. Garcia, where were they taken from?" Rossi asked. "Sally was last seen at a coffee shop near her college campus, as she was apparently on a date. When she didn't come home this morning, her roommate filed a report. As for Madeline well, the only thing I can find is that she went out with some of her friends and didn't come home. Unfortunately, she didn't use her credit card wherever she went because there's no transactions past 6:30 yesterday evening and just like the other girls, her phone has been completely erased. Sally was the same way. I've sent their pictures to your tablets." She said, her fingers moving quickly among the keyboard. Everyone glanced at their tablets, Victoria shaking her head. "Something isn't right about all this. What kidnapper can abduct all these girls without a trace, kill half of them, and just dump them somewhere. And what person goes to the extent of wiping their phones?" Victoria said, raising an eyebrow. "Could be two people. Maybe more." JJ said, shrugging slightly. "Six beautiful women. All different types. Abducted from completely different locations but each had their cell phones erased. The few that don't make the cut are strangled to death and dumped in the same place. No fingerprints, nothing. Afterwards, immediately picked up two more blondes. Does this not seem bigger than a duo?" Victoria said, raising an eyebrow. "Sex trafficking." Hotch said, earning a nod from the red eyed woman. "It would make the most sense. The state is known for having the highest sex trafficking crimes." Spencer said, looking up from his folder. "If this does have something to do with a sex trafficking ring, we only have a limited time to find these women before they're shipped off somewhere." Said Hotch, Victoria shaking her head as she went through the pictures of the women. 

 

~To The Station~ 

 

As Hotch and Victoria made their way inside the police station, they were soon greeted by the chief. "I thought your team was a lot bigger than just two people, Agent Hotchner." He said, glancing behind the pair. "It is. The rest of our team is out talking to those who last saw our victims or at the medical examiner's office. They'll be arriving later once they've finished." Hotch said, following the man to a room. "I see. Well then in the meantime, the two of you can setup in here. I've got some business to take care of right now. Let me know if you need anything else." Hotch thanked the man as he left the room, Victoria making her way to set up the evidence board. "You think they'll be able to find anything?" She asked, placing the victims' pictures on the board. "Hopefully. If we're truly dealing with something this big, any little detail will help. Will you be able to set up the locations on the map?" He asked, smiling slightly as she gasped loudly. "Agent Aaron Hotchner, you shock me. Asking me such a question, I feel a little offended." She said, chuckling as she started on the map. "My apologies, I'll try not to ask something so harsh ever again. Now if you don't need my help, I'm going to share our theory with the chief." He said, exiting the room as she waved him off. Shrugging off her coat and hanging it on the back of a chair, Victoria turned her attention back to the map, placing marks at each last whereabout of the victims as well as the dump site. Humming softly to herself, she placed the final mark, raising an eyebrow as she took a step back. "Stealing my job?" Victoria turned herself around, still humming as she gave Spencer and Derek a small wave. "Already singing Christmas carols. You definitely are a Christmas Eve baby, aren't you." Morgan said, smiling as she just giggled. "I love Christmas carols in general. Doesn't have a thing to do with my birthday. And as far as stealing your job goes, Dr. Reid, I was simply giving you a break by setting up such a wonderful map. But, there's a spot missing. You can place it if you wish." She said, stepping out of his way. Spencer made his way over, eyeing the map closely. "These are all the points we need. What's missing?" He asked, confused. "I have no idea." Victoria said, chuckling as both men looked at her, completely confused. "Then why did you say there was a point missing?" Spencer asked, stepping aside as she took a step closer. "Look closely at the placement of each point. Don't you notice anything significant?" She asked, chuckling at his furrowed brow. "Each point specifically placed..if you were to connect the points, it almost looks like a star. It's incomplete because there's-" "One point missing." Victoria said, nodding her head with a smile. "That's what I meant when I said it. These guys are hunting in a pattern. One that seems much too specific to be accidental, honestly. Now to finish off their star, I highly doubt they'll make it another dumping ground. They're planning another abduction somewhere within this area." She said, circling an area on the south side of the map. "What are we gonna do? If they really are hunting in this pattern, we've gotta find some way to catch them." Morgan said, Victoria giving a slight shrug. "Did you two find out anything at the medical examiner's?" Hotch said, entering the room. "Nothing else except whoever abducted them used chloroform. Doesn't even seem like they were bound, they didn't have any marks on their wrists or ankles. But it seems like Holsen discovered something big." Morgan said, nodding his head towards the board. "I think it's safe to say these guys are hunting in a specific star pattern. To complete the star, they have one more point to fill in. This area here." She said, pointing to the map. "And how do you suppose we stop them?" Everyone turned their attention to the door as JJ and Rossi entered the room. "I had a suggestion." Victoria said, glancing at the floor. "We could set up a trap. Make sure there's extra patrol in the areas and send in someone that could attract our unsub's attention." She said, glancing around the room. "Any other case, that could work. But dealing with sex traffickers, it could be too dangerous." Rossi stated. "I'll go." Everyone glanced at Victoria, surprised. "Are you crazy?" Morgan said. "Yes, actually." She said, glaring at him. "Absolutely not." Victoria turned her attention to Hotch, raising an eyebrow at him. "That's too much of a risk. I'm not putting your life in danger like that." He said, frowning as she rolled her eyes. "I can handle myself. You know that. Besides, I can go around wearing a wire. If I see anything suspicious, I can let you guys know. What's the worst that could happen?" "Let's see. It all goes wrong, they kidnap you, find out you're a federal agent, and kill you. Or they keep you alive and sell you off somewhere." JJ said, staring at her as Victoria rolled her eyes. "Look. We've had six girls kidnapped. Three of them were murdered, and now two more have been abducted and they're preparing to take another girl. Possibly tonight. I'm not about to just stand here and deal with the dreadful wait of a woman disappearing and possibly another body showing up before we get our next lead. And dealing with sex traffickers, our next lead might come too late and we'll never see these women again. I'm doing this. You wanna fire me afterwards, you go right ahead. But before then, do me this one favor and help me out." Victoria said, grabbing her coat and leaving the room. "We can't just let her go through with this, can we? She could get killed out there..!" Spencer said, everyone turning their attention towards Hotch. "I'm afraid we might not have a choice, Reid. It's a major risk, but Holsen is right. If we don't act now, we may not have a chance to." Said Hotch, shaking his head as he headed out after Victoria. 

 

~Later That Night~ 

 

"Holsen, can you hear me?" Hotch asked. "Loud and clear, boss. Haven't picked up on anyone suspicious yet. How about you guys?" Victoria asked, walking down the street. "Nothing yet. Keep an eye out, though. There's a lot of people out there." Hotch replied, eyeing the monitors. "Understood. But remember, I can see far, but not that far. Especially in a crowd with this many-oh!" Victoria gasped as she bumped into another figure, dropping the phone she was using to hide her earpiece. "I'm so sorry. Here, let me get that." He said, reaching down to pick up her phone. "It's fine, really. I wasn't paying attention." She said, smiling slightly. 

 

"Holsen? Are you alright?" Hotch asked, noticing the sound suddenly went dead. "Something is wrong." He said, taking off the headphones as he made his way out of the van. 

 

"Thank you." She said, grabbing her phone from the stranger. "Not a problem. You're perfect." He said, smiling at her. "I'm sor-?" Victoria's eyes widened as she felt a rag over her mouth, a groan sounding from behind her as she elbowed her attacker in the face. Falling to her knees, Victoria tried to unbutton her coat, her vision going blurry as she struggled to keep conscious. "I think this little bitch broke my nose." Her attacker said, groaning as he pinched his nose to stop the bleeding. "It's fine. Let's just get her in the truck. If you're right about her working with the Feds, they'll be swarming this place to find her soon." Victoria could feel herself being lifted effortlessly, her vision fading in and out before she finally slipped out of consciousness. 

 

"Morgan, do you see her anywhere?" Hotch said, making his way through the crowd. "I can't see her anywhere, Hotch. I think she-" Morgan cut himself off as he felt something crunch under his shoe. Taking a step back, he picked up the device, letting out a sigh. "Hotch. I just found her phone. She's gone." 

 

~Back To The Station~ 

 

As Hotch and Morgan entered the room, they were met with curious glances, fear washing over the room as Morgan shook his head. "What the hell happened out there?" Rossi was the first to speak up. "We don't know. It was too many people for us to really see. One minute she was talking, the next minute her line just went dead. They left her phone and Garcia said the tracker in her earpiece went dead shortly after she was taken." Morgan said, placing Victoria's broken phone on the table. "What are we gonna do? If they destroyed her earpiece they'll know she's a federal agent." JJ said, worry evident in her voice. "We'll have to go over everything again. As of now, our top priority is finding agent Holsen alive." Hotch said, staring at the board. 

 

~Meanwhile~ 

 

Victoria's eyes snapped open as she quickly sat up, her eyes shifting around quickly as she took in her surroundings. As her vision finally focused, she noticed the metal bars that kept her locked in. Scrambling towards it, she gasped for air as she was violently jerked backwards. She groaned as she finally noticed the collar around her neck, attached to a chain that kept her from reaching the door. "Please be quiet." Victoria turned her attention to the voice in the corner of the room. "Who's there." She said, rising to her feet. Victoria narrowed her eyes as the sound of a chain was heard, her eyes widening as she saw who it was. "My name is Sally. Please be quiet, they don't like it when we make noise." She said softly, sitting in the corner with her knees to her chest. "Sally Simpson." Victoria whispered, kneeling as she crawled closer to the girl. "H-How do you know my n-name??" The girl asked, pressing herself into the corner more as Victoria got closer. "I..I heard it on the news today. People are looking for you." Victoria lied, not exactly ready to reveal who she was. "They're looking for me..?" Sally asked, suddenly feeling a little hopeful. "Yes. Along with other girls. Do you know how many of us are here?" Victoria asked, glancing at the cage bars before turning her attention back to Sally. "I don't know. I don't even know how long I've been here. I just wanna get home." Sally said, tears streaming down her face. "I'm gonna get you home, I promise you. As well as any other girls that are here." Victoria said, rising to her feet once more. "How are you going to do that..?" Sally asked, glancing up at her. Victoria glanced down at herself, noticing her lack of clothes as she simply wore a t-shirt and underwear. "I'll find a way. Trust me." 

 

~Back to the team~ 

 

After going over the information numerous times, the group couldn't find anything new. With the final point placed on the map to represent Holsen's abduction site, the star was complete, but it left them with nothing. "Guys, I'm so sorry but I'm trying as hard as I can and I'm coming up with nothing every single time." Garcia said sadly, typing being heard in her background. "It's fine, Garcia. Just keep trying. There's gotta be something we can find on these guys." JJ said, shaking her head. "Guys? Can I ask you something..?" Garcia asked, her voice breaking slightly. "What is it, Garcia?" Rossi asked, concerned. "On the victims, were there any signs of torture or..o-or-" "No baby girl, there were no signs of torture or sexual assault. The only markings on their bodies were the strangulation marks. ME said they were strangled by something leather. Maybe a belt or something. That's all. But I don't want you thinking like that. We're gonna find Holsen, I promise you." Morgan said, reassuring her. "Good. Good good. I needed to hear that." Garcia said, her tone lightening. "Guys, I think I found something. I'm not sure how I missed it for so long when it's so clear and-!" "Reid. What is it." Hotch said firmly. "The map." He replied. "If you connect the lines along the map, they form a star pattern, like Victoria first noticed. But if you take it further than that.." Reid trailed off as he started to continue the lines to the center of the map, circling the location where they all met. "Garcia, we need an address." Hotch said, grabbing the phone and making his way to the map. 

 

~Back To Victoria~ 

 

Victoria sat in the corner of the cell, sitting cross legged as she listened out. Her attention turned to the sound of a door opening, footsteps approaching from her left. "Wakey Wakey, federal agent. The boss wants to chat with you." As Victoria pretended to sleep, keeping her breathing shallow and her back against the wall, she listened to the sound of keys jingling and the door unlocking. She groaned as she opened one of her eyes, recognizing the man as the one who she bumped into. A small smirk played on her face as she noticed the gun on his waist, disappearing quickly as he made his way over to her. "You try anything funny, I'll put a bullet in your skull, you understand me?" He said coldly, smiling as Victoria simply nodded. "That's a good girl. You'll make us a fortune." He said, laughing as he unlocked the collar around her neck. "Damn. With a body like this, why waste your time working for the Feds? I might have to have a piece of you myself before-." The man didn't finish his sentence as Victoria elbowed him in the chest, head butting him in the face soon after. As he stumbled back, holding his nose from the blow, Victoria gripped his hair as tightly as she could, slamming his face into the concrete wall, knocking him unconscious. Dragging his unconscious body over to the collar, she quickly placed it around his neck, making sure it was locked. Grabbing his gun and keys, she made her way over to Sally, who was sitting in the opposite corner, staring in awe. "How..how did you..?!" "Don't ask questions." Victoria said quickly, going through the keys to find the appropriate one. Unlocking the girl's collar, she quickly grabbed her arm and stood her up, holding her up as they exited their cell, closing the door and locking it. "Looks like he came from that way. I think we're underground, so looks like we're going up." Victoria said, grabbing Sally and pulling her along. "Wait a second!" Sally said, stopping in her tracks. "What's wrong? We gotta move!" Victoria said, looking around. "The others. You promised you'd save them!" Sally said, holding her arms out, gesturing to the other cells. "I am going to. But right now I can only manage to save you. I can't keep track of them all and keep them alive." Victoria said, heading towards the door. "I'm not going without them." Sally said, crossing her arms as she stood in place. Victoria took in a deep breath, turning back towards the blonde. "Fine. You stay here. When someone comes to find that asshole, you can explain how you just let me escape while I locked him in there. Then you'll probably get beat up, maybe raped, maybe even killed. And while that happens to you, the rest of these girls will be sold off as sex slaves like these people planned. Listen closely. I can't take all of them with me right now. There's probably too many to keep track of. But I'm not going to leave them down here to die or be sold, either. I will save them, but to save them I need my team. Until I get my team, the only one I can currently save is you. I promised you I'd save them, and I will. But I also promised to save you first. You have to trust me here. Please." Victoria said, eyeing the girl closely. She let out a sigh of relief as Sally walked towards her, giving her a nod. "Thank you. Now, get behind me and stay close. We're getting out of here." Victoria said, her weapon aimed as the two headed towards the door. 

 

~Switch!~ 

 

"Garcia, how far out are we." Said Hotch, driving with the siren blaring. "You're at least ten minutes away sir. I wish there was something I could do to make time go faster but I can't and-oh!" Garcia said, slightly surprised. "What's going on, Garcia?" JJ asked. "It's Victoria's earpiece! The signal just came on, and it's exactly where you're heading!" Garcia said, full of excitement. "So they didn't destroy it, they only turned it off. But why?" Rossi wondered. "It could be that they planned to use it as some trick to lead us to Holsen while they were shipping her. They'd turn it on once the girls were gone and once we got there, it'd be too late." Morgan said. "It's moving, guys. This has to be Victoria, right? It seems to be moving back and forth, though." Garcia said, confused. "They could've been kept underground. If it's truly Holsen, she could be going up the stairs." Said Hotch, hitting a sharp turn. "Guess we'll find out soon." Rossi said, noticing the abandoned building in the distance. 

 

~Switch!~ 

 

Victoria carefully rounded the corner, Sally clinging to her shirt as she trailed behind her, carrying Holsen's earpiece. "So you work with the FBI, and they're looking for us, right?" Sally whispered, looking around. "Yes. Hopefully they'll be able to pick up the signal from the tracker. Until then we just-" Victoria hissed in pain as a bullet grazed her arm, hiding behind the wall as shots rang out from down the hall. "Are you okay?!" Sally asked, horrified. "I'm fine. I'm not actually shot, luckily." Victoria said, waiting for a pause in the gunfire. Once it finally came, she stepped out, lining up her shots quickly as she let off two shots, killing two more. "How can you see from here..?" Sally whispered. "Long story. Come on, I think we're almost to the top." Victoria replied, holding her arm as she jogged towards the next door. She froze, backing up with Sally behind her. "What? Is something wro-?" Sally was cut off as a larger man barged through the door, glaring at the two girls. Victoria aimed her gun and tried to fire, realizing it was empty. "Damn it..! I've never fought with a fresh wound before, but looks like I don't have a choice." She said, narrowing her eyes at the muscular man. "You broke my nose, you little bitch. I'm gonna crush every bone in your body." He growled, taking a step towards her. "Stay behind me, Sally." Victoria said, backing away from the brute. "Good. My partner can kill her." Victoria quickly glanced behind her, horrified as another muscular man walked up behind them. "You can't fight them both, you're hurt!" Sally said worriedly, glancing back and forth between both men. "Never stopped me before. Listen, you need to run. Now!" Victoria quickly shoved the blonde woman towards the door, sending a swift kick into the brute's jaw as he tried to grab her. "Keep going, Sally!" Victoria called, dodging the two as she held her arm. "Alright boys, let's play for a while." She said coldly, standing in front of the door as it closed. 

 

~Switch!~ 

 

As a SWAT member took down another person, the team slowly pushed their way further inside the building. Hotch held up his phone, following the red dot that represented Holsen's tracker. "Everyone, she's coming right for us." He said, pointing towards a door. "Morgan and JJ, you wait for her here. We'll see if we can find the other girls." Hotch said, the group splitting up as JJ, Morgan, and two SWAT members stayed behind. They raised their weapons as someone started banging on the opposite side of the door, cautiously approaching it. "Help! Is anyone out there?! Help me please!" "That could be one of the girls." Said JJ, lowering her weapon. "What's your name, sweetie?" JJ called, stepping aside. "Sally. My name is Sally Simpson. Please you have to help me. There's another woman down there and she's injured and she could be in serious trouble!" Sally called, banging on the door. "Alright Sally, I need you to take a few steps back. We're gonna get the door open, okay? Stand back." JJ waved over a man with a battering ram, giving him a nod as she stepped out of the way. In one swift swing, the door was knocked open and the four quickly made their way inside. JJ was slightly startled as she was met with a hug, holstering her weapon as she wrapped her arms around the young woman. "You're safe now, Sally. We're gonna get you some help, okay?" JJ said, rubbing her back. "No no wait..!" Sally said quickly, backing away. "There's a woman down here. She says she works with you guys, and I think she's in trouble, follow me!" Sally called to them, already running back the way she came. Morgan and JJ quickly followed, following the girl down the stairs. "Well Hotch was right about the stairs. But who has the tracking device?" Morgan asked. "I do! She gave it to me and told me to keep going. She said it was the only way you guys could find her. This way!" Sally ran towards a door, letting out a gasp as Morgan quickly grabbed her shoulder. "Let us go first." He said, aiming his weapon. Giving JJ a swift nod, she quickly opened the door, stepping back as Morgan and the two SWAT members filed in. "Holsen!" Morgan quickly holstered his weapon, noticing the panting, bleeding woman sitting on the side of the door. "Hey guys. What took you so long?" She said, smiling slightly. "You're bleeding heavily. Were you shot?" JJ asked, noticing her clutched arm. "Just grazed. But I'm guessing it grazed an artery, so that's probably bad. Anyway, lets go. I can lead you to the other girls." She said, trying to stand herself up. "The only place you're going is outside to get some help. Hotch and the others are already looking for the girls." Morgan said, picking her up quickly. "Hey! I can walk, you know. And you don't understand. I promised I'd save those girls, and that's just what I plan to do. Now put me do-" "You've already saved them." Victoria glanced at Sally, raising an eyebrow. "You said you couldn't save them without your team. Well, your team is here now, so they're safe. Now, you have to save yourself. Please." Sally said softly, placing a hand on Victoria's shoulder. Victoria let out a sigh, "JJ, take these keys. If you head down those steps, you'll come to a door. All the girls are down there, and these keys should open each of the cells. I, apparently, have to get help." Victoria said, chuckling. "Don't die before I get back." JJ said, smiling as she and the two SWAT members headed towards the stairs. "I don't plan on it. Now, Derek Morgan, I think it's time to go. I would point but I cannot lift my arm right now." She said, smiling. "Not a problem, I think I know the way. Now, explain to me how you took down those two giants back there." Morgan said, carrying the woman up the stairs. "Are you crazy? I didn't take them down, they took themselves down. In normal circumstances, it would've been easy for me. But I can't do that while I'm bleeding this much. All I had to do was move around a lot and boom. They sent a right hook into each other's jaw." She said, chuckling as Morgan shook his head. "Guessing that means you're pretty flexible, huh." He said, smiling. "And pretty strong. She kept us safe this entire time. Also, there's a man in our cell and I'm pretty sure he has a nice concussion, thanks to her." Sally said, smiling. The trio finally made it out the front, the two women narrowing their eyes at the sudden beams of light. "I get the police like their lights on during this, but seriously." Victoria said, shutting her eyes. Morgan carried her over to an ambulance, sitting her down as he told them about her condition. "Hey, look!" Sally pointed to the door, smiling as the rest of the women made their way out. "You saved us all, thank you." She said, giving Victoria a smile. "Couldn't do it alone. Had some help from my team, and from you." Victoria said, smiling. "From me? What did I-?" "You kept running. And you managed to lead my team back to me. So, I think it's safe to say that you saved me too. You get better, Sally." Victoria said, giving her a warm smile. "You too. Oh, and I believe this belongs to you." Sally said, placing the earpiece into Victoria's hand. "Holsen!" Victoria turned her attention to the door, smiling as the rest of her team made their way over. "It's good to see you safe. How do you feel?" Hotch asked, noticing her arm. "Like shit. But thanks for asking." She said, chuckling softly. "Alright everyone, we've gotta get her to the hospital. With a grazed artery, she's lost enough blood as it is." Victoria glanced at the EMT, letting out a sigh as she made her way inside the ambulance. "You get well, young lady." Said Rossi, giving her a smile. The team stepped back as the doors closed, watching as the ambulance drove off. "You think she'll be alright?" JJ asked. "I'm sure she'll be fine. But I honestly gotta say, that woman is heavy." Morgan said, smiling as everyone just shook their heads. "As payback for letting her attack my hair, I'm telling her you said that." Spencer said, smiling. "Reid! You wanna send me to my death or something?" Morgan said, shaking his head. "Sorry, I can't hear you." Spencer said, waving back at the man as he walked away. 

 

~In The Morning~

 

Victoria stared out the window of the jet, clutching her bandaged arm. It was seven in the morning, only five hours since they'd rescued all of the women, including herself. She let out a small yawn, resting her head against the seat. "Can't sleep?" Victoria turned her attention to the voice, giving Spencer a small smile as he sat across from her. "Nope. Not really tired either. I'm guessing you aren't either." She said, sitting upright as Spencer shook his head. "How are you feeling?" He asked. "Still feel like complete shit, thanks for asking." She said, giggling. "And see. This is why you should've let me touch your hair without protest. I could've died or something, you know." She said, pouting. "Are you..trying to guilt trip me into letting you play with my hair more often..??" Spencer asked, his tone one of disbelief. "That depends. Is it working?" She asked, chuckling as he nodded. "Then yes. Yes I am. It's just so soft and cute." She said, smiling. "I suppose. Hey, do you play chess?" He asked, reaching into his bag. "I've played a few times before. Why do you- ohh my goodness." She said, laughing. "What's so funny?" He asked, placing the mini chess set on the table. "That is the cutest little thing I have ever seen. Why am I not surprised Spencer Reid carries around a little chess set. Just adorable." She said, calming herself down. "Would you like to play..?" He asked, smiling as she nodded. "I haven't played in a few years. 14 years to be exact." She said, resting her head in the palm of her hand as she moved her first piece. "How come you haven't played in so long?" He asked, moving his own piece. "Last game I played was with my mother. She's the one that taught me, actually." She replied, smiling slightly. "If you don't mind me asking, why don't you talk about your mother much? You talk about your father all the time." He said, contemplating his next move. "Because she's dead." Victoria said simply. Spencer's hand froze as it hovered over his chess piece. "Oh. I'm really sorry, I didn't know th-" "Don't." Victoria said quickly, raising her hand. "Don't apologize. I got enough of those at her funeral. And besides, you couldn't have known until I told you. It's fine." She said, watching as he finally moved his next piece. "You wanna know what happened, don't you." She said, glancing at him. "I didn't wanna ask, in case it was-" "It's fine. I can tell you. We were staying at one of my aunts' house for the weekend. She owns a ranch, and I always liked going there. Even had my own horse. My father was out on a case somewhere, said he would be back later that night. My mother and I had actually just finished tending to my horse, and we were heading back inside the house. All of a sudden, this car pulled up, and three guys hopped out, looking for my dad. Of course, he wasn't there, and that's what she told them. They didn't believe her, though. One of them told her she had one more chance to tell the truth, but instead of talking to them, she turned to me. She told me to run inside and get my aunt. I didn't wanna leave, but she made me promise I'd run inside and I wouldn't look back. I knew promises were a big thing to her, so I did. I started running towards the house as fast as I could. I was almost there when I heard it. One gunshot. Then a second. Then a third. I wanted to turn around, but I couldn't. I promised my mother I wouldn't. If I had stayed, maybe she'd still be here, right..? I mean there had to have been something I could've done, right..??" Victoria jolted slightly as she felt arms around her, leaning into Spencer as she started to cry. "You were only ten years old. It wasn't your fault, you did all that you could. Your mother recognized a threat and did what she thought was best to keep you safe. If you would've stayed, you probably wouldn't even be here right now." Spencer said, rubbing her back. "You know, my father blamed himself for a long time. Shortly after they killed my mother, he arrived with his partner. They killed two and wounded the third man, who's still in prison right now. But it just wasn't fair. They were looking for my father because someone tipped them off that he'd worked on the case that got their brother put in jail. My father hadn't even heard of that case." She said bitterly, gripping his shirt tightly. "I know you told me not to, but saying I'm sorry is the only thing I can do. But, I can certainly say your mother would be proud to see who you've become." He said, rubbing her head, smiling as she let out a small squeak. "How come you always make that noise when someone does that?" He asked. "My mother used to do it as a way to shut me up whenever I started rambling too much." She said, giggling. "After she died, my father picked it up. I don't always do it, you just have to rub my head the right way. Somehow you figured out how to do it." Spencer raised an eyebrow as he rubbed her head again, Victoria rolling her eyes as she tried to hold it in. He started to laugh as she finally let out a squeak. "Oh, shut up." She said, sitting up. "I think I've found something to get you back whenever you play with my hair." He said, reaching for her head. She quickly smacked his hand away. "Do not abuse this newly discovered power. It'll backfire on you." She said, giggling. "Did you want to finish our-oh, looks like we did finish. That's good, because I'm actually kinda tired now." She said, yawning as she rested her head on his shoulder. Spencer noticed the change in her breathing, thinking she had fallen asleep. He started to reach for her head until, "Reid.." she growled, causing him to quickly withdraw his hand with a smile. 

 

Closing his eyes to sleep, Spencer reopened them to glance at his chess board. His eyes went wide as he finally realized it. 

 

How the hell did he lose? 

 

 

 

~Epilogue~ 

 

"Ho ho ho, my beautiful people!" Victoria called out as she entered the room. "Well would you look at this sexy bundle of Christmas spirit." Morgan said, smiling as he kissed her cheek. "Thank you kindly, my fellow agent. But, this is nothing compared to what I wanted to wear." She said, showing him the outfit on her phone. "And what happened to this??" Morgan asked quickly. "Hotch said it wasn't appropriate." She replied, pouting. "And it wasn't. You cannot come to work wearing a skirt that little." Hotch said, shaking his head. "So unfair. But this works." Victoria said, fixing her red sweater. "You look like a gorgeous candy cane, actually." JJ said, smiling. "I most certainly do. Which means I must be delicious." Victoria said, the two women laughing together. A red sweater, white skinny jeans, and red heels, Victoria felt full of festivity. "Alright everyone." Rossi said, holding up a bottle of champagne. "Let's get this Christmas party before Christmas started!" He said, popping out the cork. "This is the life." Victoria said, smiling as she picked up a glass. "You do look nice, Victoria." Said Spencer, smiling as she turned to face him. "So do you, Spencer. Very handsome I must say, even with that plant dangling over you." She said, giggling as she took a sip of her champagne. Spencer glanced up, confused until he saw it. Mistletoe. "Oh." He said, turning his attention back to Victoria as she laughed. "Yeah, oh. Come come, Dr. Reid." She said, tapping her cheek. Spencer gave a slight shrug, leaning down to kiss her cheek. His eyes went wide as she turned her head at the last second, his lips quickly meeting hers instead of her cheek. She gave him a small smile, sipping her champagne as she went to mingle with the others.


	7. Secret Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been nearly a year since Victoria has joined the team, and her bond with them grows stronger by the day. The team grows concerned by her display of strange behavior though, especially the one she's bonded with most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mentions Of Rape

"Is it just me or have those two grown extremely close?" JJ asked, standing near Morgan's desk. "Oh, absolutely. But what else could be expected when you've got two brainiacs working together. The kid doesn't even complain when she bothers his hair anymore. If you ask me, I think he's starting to enjoy it." Morgan replied, smiling as they watched the pair of geniuses mingle. "He certainly does. And don't forget, I still have this little gem saved." JJ smiled as she pulled out her phone, scrolling through her pictures until she found the right one. "Oh yeah, I remember this one. This was after we rescued Holsen and those other women." Morgan said, chuckling at the photo. After their talk on the jet, Victoria and Spencer had fallen asleep together. Once the rest of the team had woken up, they were rather pleased at the sight, JJ taking a picture of the moment. "I thought she told you to delete that." Morgan said, smiling as JJ put away her phone. "Yeah she did. I mean to, but it slips my mind every single time." She said, smiling as Morgan shook his head. "She's gonna get you if she finds out." He said, laughing. "And that is exactly why she will never find out. You aren't going to say anything, or else I'll tell Garcia who really hid her favorite little troll doll." She said, nodding her head in approval as Morgan did a zipping motion over his mouth. 

 

"And if you two want me to keep a secret, I suggest you two be prepared to buy me dinner everyday next week." The two quickly spun around, both letting out a groan as Rossi stood there with his hands in his pockets. "I think we're busted." JJ said, chuckling as Morgan just shook his head. "Just what have you two been up to?" The pair spun back around, noticing a rather intrigued Victoria. "Oh, nothing really. Just talking." JJ said, glancing back at Rossi. "Uh huh. Then why does uncle Rossi look as if he just discovered the best secret in the world." Victoria said, raising an eyebrow. "I have nothing to do with this, I just walked up. Speaking of secrets, what were you and Reid discussing for the past 45 minutes, hmm?" Asked Rossi, smiling as Victoria let out a small sigh. "Scientific things that none of you would ever understand. And it was 47 minutes, actually. And 38 seconds." She said, giggling. "Do the two of you ever just, I dunno, talk about normal things?" Morgan asked, smiling as Victoria stuck her tongue out at him. "We always discuss normal things. Just the other day we had a conversation questioning what women see in you. We discussed it for ten minutes and yet we still couldn't figure it out." Victoria said, smirking and dodging the pen he threw at her. "Seriously, you two have become mighty close. It's pretty nice, and also kinda cute." JJ said, smiling as Victoria just giggled. "Well, I suppose it's a case of opposites attracting. Other than our common knowledge, Spencer and I are quite different. Our interests are not alike whatsoever, actually." Victoria replied, glancing back to see her fellow genius approaching with two cups of coffee. "What were you guys talking about?" Spencer asked, handing Victoria her cup. "You two. How you're somehow both alike and very different." JJ replied, eyeing the two closely. "That isn't really surprising. Though we share intelligence on many things, our personalities and interests contrast more than people would realize." Spencer stated simply. JJ glanced at Morgan and Rossi, the three of them just smiling as the two geniuses sipped their coffee simultaneously. "Definitely polar opposites." Said JJ, laughing as Victoria just rolled her eyes. "Actually, we aren't really polar opposites. Polar opposites would mean we had absolutely nothing in common. Sharing high IQs, eidetic memories and fast reading speeds, we aren't 100% different. Besides, we do share a few common interests. Such as-" Victoria cut herself off with a squeak as she felt a hand rubbing her head. 

 

"Get her started and it's impossible to stop. Unless you have the magic touch." Said Charles, chuckling as his daughter turned around with a smile. "Nice to see you too, daddy. What brings you by?" Victoria asked, her eyes lighting up as a familiar scent hit her nose. "Give it!" She shrieked, reaching behind her father's back as he held a white paper bag away from her. "Hey hey, easy! What's the magic word, young lady?" He asked, holding the bag in the air. "Let's see. I'm not eight years old anymore, so give me the bag before I eat your fingers?" She said, smiling sweetly. "Not even close. Looks like I'll have to eat it. Or better yet, anyone want a cinnamon roll? Dr. Reid? JJ?" He said, smiling and offering them the bag as she let out a whine. "Okay okay please?? Please please pleeeeaseee?" She said, jumping up and down. "There's my little jumpy bug. Here's your reward." He said, finally handing her the bag. "And there's another one to save." Said JJ, turning her phone around and replaying the video she just recorded. "You do realize I can make your death look accidental if that leaks out, right." Victoria said, eerily calm. "Isn't she just the sweetest." Charles said sarcastically, chuckling as he watched his daughter retrieve the cinnamon roll. "I've never seen someone so sensually satisfied from biting a cinnamon roll before." Said Spencer, watching as Victoria practically melted from the dessert. "Careful Charles, she has that sweet coffee again." Rossi said, smiling as Victoria glared at him. "Is that so. Alright little bug, either the coffee or the roll. Hand one over." He said, holding out his hand. Victoria rolled her eyes, "Dad, seriously. Just let me enjoy my blissful sweetness." Victoria said, taking another bite of her roll before sipping her coffee. "Yes, and while you do that you can enjoy your blissful diabetes and cavities." He said sternly, reaching for her roll. "Actually dad, sugar isn't the only thing that causes diabetes. Studies show that-" "Victoria Rose Holsen, so help me if you don't hand me one of those things." Victoria groaned as she gave up her coffee, her sadness washing away quickly as she returned to her cinnamon roll. "Are we sure she's 24? Can we double check her age please?" Morgan said, laughing at her childish act. "I'm a big girl." Victoria replied playfully, giggling as she finished her dessert. "Did the big girl enjoy her treat?" Charles asked, chuckling as she happily nodded. 

 

"Charles, it's good to see you again. How have you been?" Everyone's attention went to Hotch as he made his way down, walking over to shake the other man's hand. "Wonderful, thanks for asking. I just stopped by to bring my daughter a little treat. There was a cinnamon roll in her hands just a few seconds ago." He replied, shaking his head. "It's currently digesting." Victoria replied, chuckling. "Um, actually, there's a little left." Spencer said, pointing to her face. Victoria wiped the corner of her mouth, rolling her eyes as she looked at her finger. "Looks like I missed a bit of the white stuff. Oops." She said innocently, her eyes locking with Spencer's as she sucked on her finger. She couldn't help but giggle as heat rose to his cheeks in embarrassment. Victoria jumped slightly as her father placed his hand over her eyes. "I've been around many years, young lady. Don't think I didn't notice that." He said, removing his hand and crossing his arms. "Someone's gonna get grounded." JJ said, smirking as Victoria rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid Holsen will have to be grounded later. I was actually coming to gather my team. We've been called out on a case." Said Hotch, giving an apologetic glance to the related agents. "It's alright, I completely understand what it's like. I'd better get going, and I wish you all the best. I'll see you some other time, little bug." Said Charles, pulling his daughter into a hug. "Alright, daddy. Thanks again for the cinnamon roll." She said, smiling as he kissed her forehead. Waving to her father as he left, Victoria followed the group to their meeting room. "Who would've guessed you had such a big thing for cinnamon rolls." Said Spencer, following behind her. "I have quite the sweet tooth, as you know. Plus that warm, white cream is absolutely irresistible." She said, biting her bottom lip as she glanced back at him, smirking as she noticed the look on his face. "I mean the icing, Spencer. Just what were you thinking?" She asked, giggling as she turned around and entered the room with the others. 

 

~Time Skip~ 

 

"So this guy sexually assaults his victims AND stabs them? That doesn't make any sense, normally stabbing is their form of sexual release." Said Morgan, glancing through the case file. "Well, none of these guys ever make sense for murdering people. But, just like the others, we simply have to find out why." Rossi replied, leaning back in his seat. "Each victim was stabbed multiple times, the unsub purposely missing fatal areas to postpone their deaths. The first victim was stabbed the most, a total of 48 times, meaning our unsub is either very physically fit or has a lot of built up rage." Said Spencer, looking through the photos of the victims. "All brunettes in their mid to late 20's. He certainly has a type, but who are they surrogates for? Ex-lover who wronged him, maybe?" JJ said, glancing up. "It's possible he holds animosity towards the first woman he ever had sexual relations with." Replied Hotch. "That's true. If she made him somehow feel less of a man then-Tori?" JJ's attention turned to the red eyed woman sitting across from her, who was currently staring out the window. "Tori? Hey, you there?" She asked, leaning over and waving a hand in her face. JJ quickly withdrew her hand as Victoria's eyes snapped towards her, her head slowly turning to face the blonde. "Are you alright?" JJ asked, concerned. "I'm fine, why do you-?" Victoria finally glanced around, noticing all eyes were on her. "What?" She asked, slightly annoyed. "You've been strangely quiet since we got on the jet. Are you sure everything is alright?" Hotch asked, brow furrowed in concern. Victoria rolled her eyes, "Hotch, I'm perfectly fine. Alright guys? I'm fine, nothing to worry about. I just wanna catch this guy and make it back home. That's all." She said, smiling reassuringly. Everyone watched her for a little while longer, finally turning their attention back to the case. Victoria flipped through her own case file, feeling someone was still watching her. Looking up, she realized it was JJ, who she just smiled at. Returning her smile, JJ glanced down at her lap, her smile quickly fading. 

 

She'd seen it again. Those same dull, lifeless eyes she had first seen the first night her, Victoria, and Garcia went out. 

 

~Time Skip~ 

 

The team finally arrived to the station, a small but efficient building. They were soon greeted by the sheriff as the made their way in. "You must be Agent Hotchner. Welcome to our town, I'm glad you came." He said, extending his hand. "Thank you. We're happy to help." Replied Hotch, shaking his hand. "These are Agents Morgan, Rossi, Jareau, Holsen, and Dr. Reid." Hotch pointed to each member as he said their names, all giving a small smile or a wave. "Holsen? As in Victoria Holsen?" The sheriff asked, making his way towards her. Victoria raised an eyebrow, looking the man up and down in confusion. "Yes, that's me. Do I know you?" She asked slowly. "No, not exactly. I'm just good friends with your aunt. She's always talking about her unique little niece, and now I see why." He said, chuckling with a smile. "You know my aunt Suzanne? Just how well do you know her, if you don't mind me asking." She said, crossing her arms. "Well, I think she should probably explain that part. After we settle this matter, I could take you all down to her ranch. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to see you." He replied. "I'll check with my boss." Victoria said, turning her attention to the room her team had settled in. "By the way, what is your name, sheriff?" She asked, focusing on him once more. "Thompson. Ray Thompson." He said, extending his hand. Victoria glanced at his hand for a moment, finally uncrossing her arms to shake his head. 

 

As the two went their separate ways, Victoria headed into the room with the others. "What was that about?" Morgan asked, nodding his head towards the direction the sheriff went. "He knows my aunt, apparently." She said, tucking her hands into her back pockets. "The one who owns the ranch?" Spencer asked, smiling slightly when she nodded. "Ranch?" JJ asked, glancing between the two. "It's a long story." Victoria said, frowning slightly as she stared at the wall. "I see. Well, is the sheriff like, her boyfriend or something?" JJ asked, raising an eyebrow. "Seems like it, but he says she should be the one to explain it. He wants to take us down to her ranch after the case, if we have time." Victoria replied, glancing at Hotch. "I'm sure we'll have time afterwards." Hotch said, giving her a nod. "Fantastic. I'll let the sheriff know next time I see him." She said, smiling slightly as she made her way over to their evidence board. "When was the last time you saw your aunt?" Rossi asked. "Ten years ago." Victoria said simply, turning to face him. "I see." Was all he said, the two earning strange glances from the others in the room. "What happened ten years ago?" Morgan asked, voicing the question that they all wanted to asked. "She started college, that's all." Rossi said, chuckling as Victoria rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Alright everyone, we need to get back to the case. We've already got 4 women dead, it's time to get to work." Said Hotch, gaining everyone's attention and drawing them back to the case. "A serial rapist and killer. Probably the worst of them all. Though they aren't impossible to get, they're pretty uncommon." Said Victoria, frowning slightly as she looked over the evidence board. "That's true, but what kind of rapist are we dealing with here?" Asked JJ, taking a seat at the small table. "Anger retaliatory." Victoria said dryly, not taking her eyes off the board. "Feels like someone wronged him in a way, so he takes it out on the closest woman to match her image. With this much rage, he certainly holds burning hatred towards the woman he can't get to." Victoria's fingers started to twitch, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stared hard at the photos. "Holsen, is everything alright?" Asked Hotch, noticing her fingers as her hand fell to her side. Everyone glanced at one another before turning their attention back to her, Hotch rising from his seat as he made his way over. "Victoria..?" He said cautiously, placing a hand on her shoulder. He took a step back as she violently flinched, whipping her head around to stare at him. "There's something wrong with you. If you can't work this case-" "Hotch, I'm fine. I tend to space out sometimes when we're working on a case, and you know that." Victoria said, letting out a sigh as she sat on the edge of the table. "Yes, I'm fully aware. But I've never seen your fingers twitch before." Hotch said sternly, glancing at her hand before meeting her eyes. "It's something I do when I'm irritated enough. My father told me about it years ago." She replied, crossing her arms. "Lemme guess, years ago meaning ten years ago." Said Morgan, raising his hands in defense as Victoria turned and glared at him. "You also cross your arms when you're getting defensive about something." Said JJ, frowning slightly as Victoria just groaned loudly. "Aren't we supposed to be working on the case?" Victoria asked, ignoring the others as she focused on Hotch. "Yes. I'm sending you and Reid to the victims' families. See if you can find anything else about them." He replied, raising an eyebrow as she quickly left the room, Spencer quickly standing up to follow her. 

 

~A Few Hours Later~ 

 

Victoria's eyes were glued to the road as she drove them back to the station, her fingers repeatedly tapping on the steering wheel. "You know, everyone can see something is wrong. We're just worried about you." Said Spencer, finally breaking the silence. "I'd appreciate the worry if something was actually wrong with me, but nothing is wrong with me." She replied, glancing at him before turning her attention back to the road. "But, you're never this quiet and I don't think I've ever seen your fingers twitch before and-" Spencer was cut off as she suddenly slammed on the brakes, putting the vehicle in park as she glared at him. "Do you want to walk the remainder of the way? I wouldn't advise it, coyotes are not nice at night in this little town. And from this spot it's about, 23 minutes of walking left." She said coldly, staring at him. "What? N-No, I just-!" "Then stop it. I am fine. I do not need my team profiling me, especially when we made a deal not to. Now, I don't want to talk about this anymore. If I even THINK you're about to mention it, I will push you out of this car myself, moving or not. You understand me?" She said lowly, her tone dripping with venom. Spencer stared wide eyed at her for a moment, finally nodding his head as he realized she was deadly serious. Taking a deep breath, Victoria finally put the car in drive, turning her attention back to the road. Spencer could only stare at her, finally looking away when she glanced over at him. Her muscles were tense, her eyes were dull, and her fingers kept tapping the steering wheel, occasionally just twitching the same way they had before. She wasn't fine, and it took every amount of willpower he had not to say anything the entire time. 

 

Once they arrived at the station, Victoria was quick to turn the car off and hop out, slamming the car door as she headed towards the building. Spencer trailed behind her, keeping as much distance as possible between the pair. Once they were both inside, JJ and Rossi went to meet the pair. "What'd you guys find on-Tori? Victoria!" JJ called after her, her calls falling on deaf ears as the woman stormed off in another direction. "I'm guessing something didn't go well." Said Rossi, turning his attention on Reid. "She threatened to throw me out of the car." He said meekly, earning surprised looks from both of them. "There is definitely something wrong with her. Rossi, don't you know what's wrong?" Asked JJ, turning her attention to the man next to her. "I certainly do. But it's not my place to tell that story. The most I can say is that during her first years of college, she lost a friend she can never have back." He said, frowning. "A friend? Were they close?" She asked. "The closest friend she could ever have. But, that's all I can tell you. If you want the rest of the story, you'll have to ask her. Right now, I don't think she's willing to talk to anyone." They all turned their attention towards the direction she'd went, Rossi letting out a sigh as he headed that way. "I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, share anything you two discovered from the families, Reid." JJ and Spencer just glanced at each other, JJ shaking her head as she headed towards the room with the others. Spencer stared after Rossi for a moment, finally following after JJ. 

 

As Victoria finally emerged from the women's bathroom, she jumped backwards a bit as she was startled by Rossi, who just stood there with a slight smile. "Feeling better?" He asked, noticing the puffy look around her eyes. "I guess. Look, uncle Rossi I just-" "I hear you threatened to toss Reid out of the car." He said, raising an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have actually done it." She said, frowning as he stared at her in disbelief. "Or at least, I would've stopped the car first. Look, what does it matter? We have four victims dead here. We should be focusing on this case, not me." Victoria scowled as she tried to step around the man, Rossi just blocking her path each time. "Uncle Rossi-!" "You aren't working this case right now, Victoria." He said firmly, shock spreading across her face. "What? Why not?" She asked, sadness spreading over her features as Rossi placed his hands on her shoulders. "You're not in your right mind, hon. I know it, you know it, and the rest of the team knows it. We can't work the case if everyone doesn't have their head in the game. Everyone is so concerned for you that the only one capable of reeling them back in is Hotch, and even he's losing his touch because he's thinking about you." He said calmly, squeezing her shoulders. "So, what? It's my fault?" She asked, slightly annoyed. "Nothing is your fault. Not this, or what happened ten years ago." He could feel her tense under his hands. "You need to go back to the hotel for tonight. Get some rest, clear your head, and then if you feel like you're ready, you come back tomorrow morning. But right now, you are not capable to handle this. We all love you, little Victoria, and we just want you to be okay." He said, swiping his thumb over her cheek to wipe away the tear she didn't know had fallen. Pulling her into a hug, he kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back. "Also, lose the heels. I feel like an imp here." He said, smiling as he heard her giggle. "I'm not that tall in them, uncle Rossi." She said, chuckling as she pulled away. "I know, I just had to think of something to make you laugh. Now, I'm gonna tell the others that you'll be back tomorrow morning. And remember what I told you." He said, smiling at her before heading back. "Uncle Rossi?" She called quickly, catching his attention once more. "Could you, well, could you send Reid out here..?" She asked, staring at the floor. "I already intended to." He said, walking off once more. 

 

Victoria paced back and forth, letting out a sigh as she finally leaned against the wall. "Victoria..?" She quickly glanced up at the sound of her name, turning her attention to Spencer as he slowly made his way over. He stopped short as she quickly strolled towards him, slightly surprised as she pulled him into a tight hug. Hesitant for a moment, he finally wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry about what I said, I just haven't been thinking clearly." She said, glancing up at him. "Also I'm very upset you're still a bit taller than me when I'm in heels." Spencer smiled slightly as she let out a chuckle, the two finally pulling apart. "I can't really control the second problem, but the first one is alright. Rossi kind of explained it to JJ and I." He said, earning a confused look from her. "What did he say?" She asked. "He just told us you lost a close friend when you were in college. He says if we want to know the rest, we'll have to ask you." Victoria let out a sigh, mentally thanking the Italian man. "I'll probably tell you guys. Someday, at least. But right now, I just..I just can't. Now, I'm going back to the hotel for tonight. Can I..have another hug..? I know you're normally not one for much contact but, please..?" She asked softly, a small smile on her face. Spencer smiled as he nodded, her own smile widening as she hugged him once more. Spencer suddenly let out a yelp as his body tensed, stepping back as she finally let him go. "Nice ass, doctor." She said, smirking as she walked away, leaving a rather confused genius. 

 

He didn't know whether to feel very happy or very violated. 

 

Victoria was now beaming with happiness as she exited the police station, a warm smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around her body, enjoying their hug. As she got into her vehicle, her smile turned into a smirk as she started to giggle, her giggling turning into full blown laughter. The expression he had when the two separated had been priceless. Once she calmed down enough, she started up the car, pulling out and heading towards the hotel. 

 

~The Next Day~ 

 

As the team filed into the police station, Morgan let out a loud sigh of relief. "Feels good to be back in cool air." He said, plopping down in a chair. "You were in the heat for seven seconds. You'll be fine." Said JJ, laughing at him. "When it feels like a hundred degrees outside, every second counts. Anyway, where's Holsen? Haven't seen her since yesterday." He said, looking around. "I'm sure she'll be here sooner or later. She might've decided to stay back for a while." Said Rossi, sitting on the edge of the table. Not even a minute later, Victoria strolled into the room, earning glances from around the room. Glancing up from adjusting her shirt, she raised an eyebrow. "Why do you guys keep looking at me weird lately?" She asked slowly. "Probably has something to do with the fact that you're dressed like a farmer." Said Morgan, stifling a laugh. "Oh, you are just a bundle of laughs aren't you. Unlike you, I know how to dress for the weather of the location we're heading. My aunt owns a ranch here, so I'm aware how scorching it can be. So while I'm staying cool in this scorching heat, let me know if you think you're about to pass out from heat stroke at any point, big guy." Victoria said simply, staring at the man. Morgan just raised his hands in defeat, smirking as Victoria walked past him, swaying her hips as she went. "Don't really mind the view, though. Agent Holsen in capris, and I thought the only shoes you owned were heels." He said, raising an eyebrow. "Heels, boots, and sandals. And fuzzy slippers when I'm relaxing at home." She said, giggling. "Seems like someone is back to normal, huh." Rossi said, smiling as she happily nodded. "Good morning, everyone. Victoria, I hope you rested well." Said Hotch, strutting into the room. "I did, sir. Thanks for your concern." She said, earning a simple nod from the man. "Good, because we're gonna need everyone. They've discovered another body." 

 

~Time Skip~ 

 

Victoria slowly pulled off her sunglasses, hanging them on the front of her shirt. Lifting the sheet, her eyes scanned over the body before she raised an eyebrow. "Her genitalia is mutilated." She said, crouching next to the body. "That's certainly new. Seems our unsub is deteriorating, getting angrier, especially since he's killing so quickly." Said Rossi, bending down to take a closer look. "Just what woman does he hate this much to..wait a minute, what's in cut number whatever over there." Said Victoria, sticking her gloved hand in the stab wound in the heart. "Bet that doesn't feel nice." Said JJ, shaking her head. "Sorry about this." Victoria said quietly, slowly pulling out a piece of folded paper. Unfolding it, she narrowed her eyes slightly as she read the blood stained paper. "Guys, we've got a problem." She said slowly, rising to her feet. "What's wrong?" Asked Rossi, leaning over to read the note. "The very first line. 'My dearest Suzanne.' This is about my aunt, uncle Rossi." She said, looking at him. "That doesn't have to necessarily be true, Victoria." He said, frowning. "What's not true?" Asked Morgan, approaching with Hotch and Spencer. "Victoria thinks the unsub is killing women identical to her aunt." Said JJ, pointing to the note. "The very first line says 'My dearest Suzanne.' Who the hell else can it be?" Said Victoria, glancing around at them. "It's a small town, that doesn't specifically have to be-" "Morgan, do not question me. There's a total of one thousand, one hundred and ninety three people in this town. There's only one Suzanne. At least a dozen Susans but that's it, and I doubt our unsub made a mistake." She said lowly, her hands shaking with rage. "Where's the damn sheriff." Before anyone could answer, Victoria was storming towards the sheriff, the note balled up in her hand. 

 

"How long have you been going out with my aunt." The sheriff looked at her, slightly surprised at the sudden confrontation. "Hello? I'm waiting." She said, waving a hand in his face. "Nearly two months." He admitted, raising an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with-?" "Look." Victoria quickly opened the note, holding it up for him to read. "You think this is about your aunt and I?" He asked, completely stunned. "I don't think, I know." She said, heading back to the others. "We need to deliver the profile. Now." She stated firmly. "Holsen, we don't know-" "NOW." She snapped, her eyes full of rage. "I'll deliver the profile my damn self if you don't wanna help, but I refuse to just stand here while some guy is raping and killing these women. Especially not when it has something to do with my aunt." Victoria walked off without another word, the group looking amongst each other in shock. "You know, she might be right, Hotch. It's the most we have to go on." Said Spencer, his eyes following the retreating woman. Hotch thought for a moment before letting out a sigh. "You're right. Go and let her know we'll deliver the profile as soon as we get back." He said, sending Spencer after her. "Hotch, you know she's normally not that disrespectful. She's just worried about her aunt." Said JJ, frowning slightly. "I know, which is why I won't be reprimanding her this time. I'm trusting her enough that it won't happen again." He replied, glancing down at their victim before walking away. 

 

~Back To The Station~ 

 

"We believe we're looking for a white male in his mid to late 40's. He's what we call an Anger Retaliatory rapist, the kind that attacks their victims when they represent someone who our unsub feels has wronged him somehow." Said Hotch, glancing around the room at every officer. "There's a good chance that he was abused as a child, as most of them classified as Anger Retaliatory usually are. You'll notice he has a short temper, might often seem angry, especially towards women he feels have wronged him. In this case, all of said women are brunettes in their 20's." JJ said, placing her hands behind her back. "We believe this man is murdering women in their 20's because he may have met my aunt, Suzanne Holsen, around that time. If he believes that my aunt did not give him the attention he truly wanted, he'll attempt to kill again. Very soon." Said Victoria, leaning against the table. "Make sure to-" "So wait a second." Everyone turned their attention to one lone police officer who had his hand raised. "This guy is murdering people because your aunt turned him down? If you ask me, that's something that needs to be taken up by your aunt." He said, crossing his arms. "Since you seem to wanna turn my aunt into another body, how would you like to join the rest of our victims, especially the last. Mutilated genitalia would look lovely on you." Victoria said, her tone cold enough to send a chill down the man's spine. "That's what I thought. Now as for everyone else, keep an eye out for this man. And be cautious, if he has a short temper he might not go down easy." Victoria said, exiting the room. 

 

She let out a sigh as she sat in a chair, rubbing her temples. "I think you've officially scared the soul out of that officer." Victoria glanced up, letting out a chuckle as JJ stood there with a smirk. "Not my problem." She replied, shrugging. "He's actually still sitting there. I think his friends are trying to snap him out of it." Said Spencer, entering the room with two cups of coffee. Victoria let out a sigh of relief as he handed her one, muttering a small thanks before taking a sip. "Awww." Victoria raised an eyebrow as she stared at JJ, rolling her eyes when the woman started making kissing noises. "What are you doing..?" Asked Spencer, completely confused. "Oh, nothing. Just a little game Tori and I have going. She gets it." Replied JJ, smirking. "Yes, I get it. Now stop it." Victoria said, giggling as she took another sip of coffee. "You know, I think Derek might wanna join in." Said JJ, scurrying out of the room before Victoria could stand up. "Just kill me now.." She muttered, sitting her cup on the table. "What are you guys doing??" Spencer asked, even more confused than before. "If you can't figure it out, leave it alone, hon. It probably isn't worth knowing." Victoria said, turning to the man with a smile. "I've found that just about everything is worth knowing." Spencer replied, lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I can understand that. I've been astonished with knowledge for quite some time, especially when it comes to animals." She said, a smile spreading across her face. "You're an animal lover?" He asked, smiling as she happily nodded. "I most certainly am. It's the main reason I enjoyed my aunt's ranch so much. She taught me a lot of things." Spencer eyed the woman closely, noticing a twinkle in her red eyes as she sipped her coffee. "Something wrong, Spencer?" She asked, noticing his staring. "Hm? Oh, n-nothing." He said, turning away from her. Victoria raised an eyebrow, giving a slight shrug before finishing her coffee. 

 

"Tori, there's a woman out here who wants to see you." Said JJ, peeking her head in. Curious, Victoria rose from her seat and left the room, Spencer trailing behind her due to his own curiosity. "Victoria!" Her eyes went wide as the woman nearly knocked her over in a hug. "Aunt Suzanne? What are you doing here?" She said, returning the hug. "When Ray came to tell me about what was happening, I had to come down to see you. It's been so long, honey." Suzanne replied, smiling as she placed a hand on the younger woman's cheek. Victoria gave a warm smile as she leaned into the touch, placing her hand on top of her aunt's. "We have a lot to discuss, young lady. About this new job and all of your friends and any boyfriends and-oh! I think I might've spotted your boyfriend." She said, looking behind her niece to see Spencer, who turned red instantly. "Aunt Suzanne!" Victoria hissed, grabbing the woman's hand and dragging her off. "What? He's a handsome young man, and nice and tall and-" "AUNT. SUZANNE." Victoria hissed through gritted teeth, her own cheeks tinted red. "He is NOT my boyfriend..!" She whispered loudly, glancing around. "But it's very obvious you like him, honey. And with the way he was tailing you, I'd say he's pretty fond of you too." Her aunt replied, chuckling as Victoria's blush worsened. "Just look at you, honey! You're redder than the devil himself. No shame in having a boyfriend, ya know." She said, smiling. "Oh, I know. Speaking of boyfriends, you wanna explain the SHERIFF." Victoria said, crossing her arms. "Oh, Ray? He helped me find one of my horses after she wandered off one day a few months ago. I was so grateful I started making him lunch everyday after that. Soon lunch turned into dinner as well and the rest just happened." Her aunt explained, a wide smile on her face. Victoria stared at her aunt before letting out a sigh. "As long as you're happy. But if he screws this up I swear I'll-" "Victoria, he's not gonna hurt me in any way. So, instead of worryin' about the man I share my time with, I suggest you go after the man you wish to share your time with." Suzanne couldn't help but laugh as a blush broke out on her niece's face once more, kissing her cheek before heading back toward the others. "Wait wait!" Victoria said quickly, grabbing her arm. "I can't just go after him..! Because, well, fraternization is frowned upon at my job and-!" "Excuses, excuses. If you like someone, you go for them. That's all there is to it." Her aunt said, poking her nose before smiling. Victoria quickly tried to rid the blush from her cheeks, which only made her blush more. "You always did get embarrassed easily, sweet pea. But, one more thing." Victoria raised an eyebrow as her aunt took her hands, her expression turning serious. "I don't want you letting your past affect your feelings in the present." She said, squeezing her niece's hands as she tried to pull away. "Aunt Suzanne, I-" "Victoria, I used to study your mother all the time when she became a part of the family. I wanted to make sure she was the right woman for your daddy, and I figured that out after spending less than an hour with her. You have so much of her left in you, I'd mistake you for her if it wasn't for your eyes and you having your daddy's hair color. You've always been quite strong, even when you were in diapers. You can overcome this, I know you can. But sometimes, we need help from others, too. You like him, yes?" She said, smiling as Victoria slowly nodded. "Then you tell him. It doesn't have to be today or tomorrow, but make sure it doesn't take forever. If that happens, you might lose your chance forever. He looks like a good man, honey. Don't let what one bastard did have control over you forever. You want him, you get him." Victoria let out a shaky sigh as she hugged her aunt, holding her tightly as the woman rubbed her back. "I love you, aunt Suzanne." She said softly, a soft smile on her features. "I love you too, sweetie. Now come on, I'm sure your friends need you to catch this maniac." Suzanne replied, the two of them heading back together. 

 

As the two made it back to the team, Hotch was the first to approach them. "Ms. Holsen, do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" He asked. "Not at all. And please, call me Suzanne. Any friends of my niece are friends of mine." She said, smiling. "We were wondering if you knew anyone that could fit our profile. White male in his mid to late 40's, might have a short temper and you might've met him in your 20's." Suzanne closed her eyes to think for a minute, trying to take in the facts. "I'm really sorry, but I can't think of anyone." She said, frowning as she shook her head. "Hotch, where's the note that was on the victim?" Victoria asked, looking around. "Morgan is retrieving it from evidence." "Not quick enough. Listen aunt Suzanne, I'm gonna recite a message to you. Try and think if you've heard these words, okay?" Victoria said, earning a nod from the older woman. 

 

"My dearest Suzanne, I have thought of you since the very first moment our eyes met. I've yearned for your touch since our hands first met. The constant craving to feel your soft lips against mine from the moment I heard you speak. I watch you daily, desperate for you to notice me, desperate for you to come to me. To have you in my embrace is all I ask for. To feel-" 

 

"To feel your skin against mine as I revel in your sweet scent that is my aphrodisiac." Suzanne finished, her eyes wide in horror. "I remember that note! There's even more to it but it was so creepy I stopped reading right there! I know who wrote it but I just can't think.." She let out a frustrated sigh as she shut her eyes, desperately trying to think. "Just breathe, aunt Suzanne. I'm gonna try something, okay? Relax and keep your eyes closed. Try to go back to the time you were reading that note. I know you say you stopped reading there, but your brain might've subconsciously picked up something else. Something our unsub left out. On the note we found, there was no name at the bottom. But there's a name on your note. You can see it, can't you? The name at the bottom is-" "Carl Jamison!" Suzanne shouted quickly, opening her eyes. "That's it, aunt Suzanne..! Do you know where he lives?" Victoria asked. "Yes, yes! He has a farm on the outskirts of town. I haven't seen him since-!" "Since you and the sheriff started dating, right?" Victoria finished, glancing at the others as Suzanne nodded her head. "You've been a major help, ma'am. Let's go everyone." Hotch said, the team heading out. "You did great, aunt Suzanne. I have to go but I promise I'll be back." Victoria said, giving her a quick hug before heading out behind the others. 

 

~Heading To The Farm~ 

 

"Carl Jamison, 46 year old male whose lived in the town his entire life. Has a history of violence and was even arrested a few years back for assaulting his ex-wife. Had a horrible childhood as his father was an alcoholic and left when he was very young, leading his mother to blame him for the father leaving." Garcia said over the phone. "Abused as a child and has a short temper. This has to be our guy." Said JJ. "The first victim was discovered a month and a half ago. Finding out my aunt was taken by another man, especially the sheriff, that had to have been his trigger. After writing a letter like that, he could only remember her as she was in her 20's." Victoria said, shaking her head. "Your aunt is dating the sheriff..?" Garcia asked, making Victoria roll her eyes. "I'll explain it to you later. We've got an unsub to catch." Victoria's eyes landed on the farm as they pulled up, immediately noticing a man outside. As they pulled to a stop, Victoria was the first one out, drawing one of her guns as she approached the man. "Carl Jamison, FBI. Show me your hands." She said, only a few feet away from him. She raised an eyebrow as he quickly complied, watching as Morgan moved in to make the arrest. Once he was in handcuffs, she holstered her weapon, glaring at the man as Morgan took him away. "That was easy." JJ said, approaching her. "Too easy. Something isn't right about him." Victoria said, frowning. 

 

~To The Station~ 

 

"He's still not talking?" Victoria asked, staring at the man through the window. "He refuses to speak until he has his lawyer. But, once his lawyer arrives, I want you to interrogate him." Said Hotch, glancing at her. "Alright, but why me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "He's a man who feels dominant over others, especially women due to the viciousness of his crimes. If he considers you an alpha female and figures out who you're related to, you might be able to break him." Hotch replied, looking through the glass. "Guys." They turned their attention to Morgan, who just peeked his head in. "His lawyer is here." They glanced at each other before walking out, greeted by a young man in a suit with a briefcase. "I'm Mr. Jamison's lawyer, Doug Nelson. I hear you're trying to accuse my client of rape as well as murder?" He said, frowning. "Not really trying. More like succeeding." Victoria said, smiling sweetly. He just sighed. "Let's get this over with. I'm sure you all have better things to do with your time than accuse my client when you have nothing more to go on than a ridiculous profile." He said, heading to the interrogation room. "Ooh, I'm gonna like you." Victoria said, following him. As the two entered the room, Nelson went and stood by his client, Victoria leaning against the door. She glanced toward the window, feeling the eyes of her colleagues on the other side. 

 

"So Carl, I hear you had a thing for my aunt." Victoria stated simply, noticing a change in his eyes. "I'm not sure who your aunt is, young lady." He replied, raising an eyebrow at her. "Suzanne. You know her. Your dearest Suzanne." She replied, striding over to sit across from the man. "I know of a Suzanne. I hear she's dating the sheriff. Never knew she had a niece." He said, his eyes giving her a quick once over. "Probably because she never mentioned it to you. You two were never close, anyway. Why would she bring it up to a 20 something virgin loser like you who can only confess through a note." She said coldly, opening the folder she had and tossing the sealed note on the table. "Agent, this has nothing to do with-!" "This has EVERYTHING to do with it. Bite your tongue, sweetie. Your client knows exactly what I mean." Victoria smiled as Jamison stared at her, pure rage swirling around in his eyes. "Did I say something wrong, little virgin?" She asked sweetly, noticing him tense. "You're nothing but a coward. You couldn't have my aunt so you preyed on innocent victims just to soothe your lust. But they weren't the same, were they?" She said lowly, tilting her head a little. 

 

"Agent, this has gone far enough!" Nelson said, frustrated.

 

"It's true isn't it, Carl? They weren't the same, that's why you killed them. Dumped their bodies like trash. You were satisfied after you raped them, but it still wasn't enough because it wasn't your dear old Suzanne. But, there's someone who's enough. Even better than Suzanne." Victoria stood from her seat, smirking as the man shook with anger. "What's better than her own blood, hm? Her young little FBI niece. Around the same age, a lovely build, and her heart is ready for the taking."

 

"That's enough. Carl, don't say another word." Said Doug, trying to defend his client. 

 

"You want me, Carl? I can see it in your eyes. You wanna mess me up even worse than the rest of those girls. See my name all over the news. Agent Victoria Holsen, beaten, raped, and stabbed to death. How many times would you stab me, Carl? 50 times? A hundred? Or would you just completely slice me to pieces. Stabbing at me like I'm my aunt. After all, I am the closest thing right? Come on Carl, tell me! I can see you want to! What would you do Carl, hm? Tell me!" She said, slamming her hands on the table. 

 

"You wanna know what I'd do?! You wanna know!?! Fine! Those other little bitches were NOTHING compared to what I could do to you! That last little whore I stabbed 50 times alone, you think I'd stop there with you?! I'd hack you up and send every little piece to that bitch that's your aunt, but not before I show you who's the damn virgin in this room. Once I've had enough of you I'll shred up your privates just like that last piece of garbage. THAT'S. what I would do to YOU. UNDERSTAND ME?!" He yelled, standing up as he slammed his fists on the table. 

 

Victoria raised an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side as Hotch and Morgan entered the room. "Is that all? You really aren't special at all, are you." She said coldly, turning to leave the room as Hotch and Morgan sat the raging man back down in his seat, slamming his head onto the table until he calmed down. 

 

"So you're agent Holsen, huh? Glad I bought this along." Victoria stopped in the doorway, turning to face the young lawyer. "What are you on about now?" She said, raising an eyebrow. She watched as the man opened his suitcase, pulling out a folder. "Weren't you afraid to offer yourself to someone you saw as a rapist? After something like this, I figured you'd steer clear." He said, waving the folder. Victoria's eyes turned ice cold as she closed the door, making her way towards the lawyer. "How did you get that." She said lowly, her tone dripping with venom. "It took time, which is why I was running late. Once I heard you were here, I had to get evidence that proved your bias in this case." Victoria's knuckles cracked just by flexing her fingers, Hotch stepping between the two. "Victoria, what does he have." Hotch asked, her eyes showing pure murder. "14 year old Victoria Holsen, lone daughter of widower Charles Holsen. Rescued from her college campus after disappearing for two weeks. Covered in multiple bruises with clear evidence of sexual assault. DNA from the suspect was recovered from inside the victim-" Nelson cut himself off as he pressed against the wall, slight fear showing in his eyes as the two male agents struggled to hold back the young woman. "Victoria, stop it!" Hotch shouted, desperately holding onto her to keep her away from the young lawyer. "Derek, get her outside quick!" He said, taking a step back as Morgan quickly lifted her up by her waist. "LET GO OF ME! I'LL KILL HIM!!" She screamed, fighting and kicking as she tried to break free of Morgan's tight hold. Once Morgan finally got her out the door, Hotch turned to the lawyer, anger evident in his own features. "I'll be contacting someone to see if that folder was ever to be accessed. If I find out that you accessed this folder without permission, I will guarantee it that you are punished to the highest extent." Hotch said firmly, snatching the folder from the shaken man's hands before walking out. 

 

As Hotch exited the interrogation room, a worried look washed over his features as he saw Victoria in her aunt's arms, the two of them sitting on the floor. "That girl is strong as hell." Morgan said, rubbing his side and jaw as he winced in pain. "What happened?" Hotch asked, concerned. "Once I got her out here, she gave me a cold shot to the jaw and one to the ribs with her elbows. Luckily her aunt came around because I was losing my grip on her pretty fast after that." Morgan said, shaking his head at the two. "She wasn't thinking rationally. I'm sure she-" "I know she wouldn't do that normally, Hotch. That damn lawyer made her snap. I hope she scared him so bad that the look on her face is all he'll see when he falls asleep tonight." Morgan said, crossing his arms. "How did he get that folder anyway?" "I'm not sure, but I plan to look into it. I get the feeling this folder was never supposed to see the light of day." Hotch said, turning his head as he heard the door open. "Leave. Quickly. If my agent sees you, I'm not stopping her this time." Hotch said firmly, glaring at the lawyer as he quickly left. Soon after, JJ, Rossi, and Spencer came from another room, all three of them looking saddened, though Rossi seemed worse off. "I was there that day." He said, not taking his eyes off the two on the floor. "I had been helping Charles try and find her that entire time. The worst thing about it all was that we'd questioned the kid who did it, but he played it off so well we never considered him a suspect." JJ placed a hand on Rossi's shoulder, trying to comfort him. "Aaron, that folder was never ever supposed to be seen by anybody. Her father and I made sure of that. How could he get it?" Rossi said, turning his attention to Hotch. "I don't know, but I intend to find out. Make sure she's alright, I have some calls to make." Hotch replied, heading off. 

 

Suzanne glanced up, tears brimming her eyes as she held onto her niece. Glancing over to Rossi, she gave him a pleading look, motioning him over. As Suzanne tried to stand both her and Victoria up, Rossi gave her a hand, letting out a sigh as Victoria quickly clung to him. Rossi held onto her tightly, leading her to a different room. Suzanne took a deep breath, wiping her eyes as she made her way over to Morgan. "I'm sorry she hurt you. She just, I mean it just-" "Ma'am, please. It's perfectly alright. I know she wasn't thinking straight. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to her?" Morgan asked, concern written across his face. Suzanne took in a deep breath, letting out a shaky sigh. "She was only 14, as you all probably heard. She was planning to come home for a while in the spring. When her father arrived to get her, he was horrified to hear that nobody had seen her. Surveillance showed that she had been taken, but it didn't show her kidnapper's face. Charles and Dave worked day and night for those two weeks until Victoria finally gave up her location. Charles told me that the scream she let out to alert them was something that would haunt him forever. She hadn't known they were looking for her that entire time, but once she knew, it was all over. It pains me to even think about what she went through in that room." Suzanne's breath hitched as she fought back tears, holding up a hand as the three tried to comfort her. "I'm alright. Don't worry about me." She said softly, wiping her eyes. "Her kidnapper held her on campus the entire time..?" Spencer said, his voice strained. "Yes he did. He was a student himself. He claimed to be in love with her, so he took her for himself. He was 20 years old at the time." She said softly, shaking her head. "Will Tori be alright?" JJ asked softly, quickly wiping away the lone tear that fell from her eye. 

 

Suzanne looked at the three of them, a soft smile spreading across her face. "With friends like you, I think my niece will be just fine. You all are capable of shedding tears or showing pain for her as if she was your own blood." She said, noticing their expressions. "We're not just colleagues, ma'am. We are like family, and that extends to Victoria, too. She's a terrific person to have around, and we wanna help however we can." Morgan said, giving her a light smile. "I'm glad. I want her as happy as possible, and you all can make her happy. Some more than others." She said, glancing at Spencer. Spencer's eyes widened slightly as Suzanne gave him a wink, a smile spreading across JJ and Morgan's faces. "You're intelligent like Victoria. I can see it in you. You'll be perfect." Suzanne placed a hand on Spencer's shoulder, giving him a warm smile before walking off to go and comfort her niece. "What did she mean? I'm not perfect, no human being is." Spencer asked, turning to his friends. "You'll find out sooner or later, kid." Morgan said, giving him a pat on the back. "Yeah Spence, just give it a bit more time. I think you'll get exactly what she meant. In the meantime, lets go see how she's doing, okay?" JJ said, smiling at him before walking after Suzanne. "What if I can't figure it out..?" He said, turning to Morgan. "You will. Doesn't even take a genius to figure that one out." Morgan replied, placing an arm around his shoulder as the two followed behind JJ.


	8. Sweeter Than Cinnamon Rolls {Pt. 1}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will our two fellow geniuses finally allow their budding romance to blossom?

"Victoria laid alone in her bed, clinging to the pillow she was supposed to sleep on. Today had been the hardest day she'd encountered in a long time. She clutched her pillow tighter as she remembered today's events, trying not to upset herself again. They weren't supposed to know. She never wanted to tell them, and if she planned to, she certainly didn't want it to happen this way. Her file had been sealed tight, not even transferring to computers like most files did. Her father hadn't allowed it to, as he feared someone could access it and find out. She remembered their faces, though. They hadn't worn the expression of the folks in her neighborhood when they found out. No, their faces were genuine. Sorrowful. Almost as if they felt her exact pain. Even Hotch seemed to hurt for her, which she appreciated greatly. Her aunt reassured her that this wasn't the same as ten years ago. That she didn't have to run or hide or feel ashamed. That it wasn't her fault. And after at least an hour of trying to calm her down, her aunt brought her back to the hotel. She'd planned to sleep for the rest of the day, but she hadn't been tired. She could only lay there, only getting up when one of her friends knocked on the door to check on her. She hadn't even eaten anything since that morning, food being the last thing on her mind.

Victoria let out a sigh as she sat herself up, another knock drawing her away from the bed. Standing up, she tied her robe around her tight, hugging herself as she stood at the door, peeking though the peephole. Raising an eyebrow, she slowly opened the door, staring at the taller figure. "What is it, Spencer?" She asked, leaning against the doorway. "I just wanted to come and make sure you were okay." He said, smiling slightly. Victoria just stared at him for a moment before giving him a slight smile. "You've done that 4 times in the last hour and 17 minutes." She said, crossing her arms. "I have? I hadn't noticed. I hope I didn't bother you." He said quietly. Victoria let out a sigh, stepping back and opening the door wide. "Would you like to come in, Spencer?" She asked, giving him a small smile. She couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh as she saw him thinking about it, though she decided for him as she grabbed his hand and pulled him in. "Have a seat." She said, closing the door and gesturing to the bed. "Are you sure this is alright..? If you still wanted to be alone, I didn't wanna impose or-" "Spencer, I literally just invited you in. Now come sit down." She said softly, laying down and cuddling her pillow once more. Spencer just stood there for a moment, finally giving in as he took a seat on the bed. "How are you feeling..?" He asked, turning to face her. "I'm okay, I think. I ran out of tears a few hours ago, so I'm not doing too bad." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You know, one can't exactly run out of tears. For a person to supposedly run out of tears, they'd have to cry for hours and hours or be dehydrated before-" Spencer stopped mid-sentence as he realized she was staring at him. "I'm sorry." He said, casting his eyes downward. "Don't apologize. I don't know about everyone else, but for me, listening to you just state facts is quite amusing. Even if I know about most of the stuff you say." She said, chuckling softly. "You're probably the only one who feels that way." He said, glancing at her. Victoria just shrugged. "I don't care. It's simply a case of people not wanting to hear what they cannot comprehend. I understand just about everything you talk about, so it interests me. Besides, you get rather happy just randomly throwing out facts." She said, smiling slightly as she sat up. "So do you. Your eyes seem to get brighter whenever you're really excited about something." He said, his eyes meeting with hers. He couldn't help the sad look that crossed his face.

Her eyes were still dull.

"What's wrong..?" She asked, noticing his expression. "Oh, nothing. It's nothing." He said, a little too quickly. "You know you're an awful liar, right. If you didn't know, then allow me to be the first to tell you." She stated simply, frowning as she moved to sit next to him. "I can read you better than any book I've ever read, Spencer. Whatever is on your mind, just say it. I know it's bothering you." Spencer let out a sigh, knowing there was no way out of this. "It's your eyes. You know people often say eyes are the windows to the soul, and your eyes display what you're feeling extremely well. They tend to get brighter when you're really happy or excited or they'll get darker when you're angry about something and-" "Spencer." She said, poking his cheek. She couldn't help but smile a little as he slightly flinched from the contact. "You're reading my feelings through my eyes right now. Just tell me what you see." She said softly, staring at him. His eyes finally connected with hers once more, his own eyes looking saddened. "You're in pain. A lot of pain, even though you're trying to smile through it. You get a dull look in your eyes because you try to disconnect yourself from the world around you, not wanting those around you to see what you're feeling. But it doesn't work. Your eyes are too unique to hide it." He said softly, searching her eyes for any other emotion. Victoria just stared at him, the same dull look in her eyes. "Interesting. But, you left out something. I do try to disconnect myself from the world, but it's not just because of that. It's because I don't want to go back to that time. If I think about it too long, I let it consume me. I feel trapped all over again, and I hate it. I start feeling alone, helpless. Once I get to that point, it takes a long, long time to get back to normal. I can feel it all. Every sickening touch, every ounce of pain when he would..when he would-!"

Victoria took in a sharp breath as she felt a hand on her arm, snapping out of her thoughts as she noticed Spencer's face full of worry. "I'm okay.." She whispered, giving him a light smile. "No, you're not okay. You're not okay at all." He said softly, holding her close as she fell into his arms. Spencer could only hold her as she sobbed silently, his brain working to think of any possible way to cheer her up, even if it was for a little while. "Do you think you'll be awake for a little while..?" He asked, thinking of an idea. "I guess. Why do you ask..?" She said softly, glancing up at him. Spencer felt like he took a stab in the chest as he noticed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to make her happy right now. "I need to go and get something. Are you going to be alright..?" He asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'll be okay. What are you going to get?" She asked, pulling away as he stood up. "I..I can't say. But don't worry, I think you'll like it." He said, smiling slightly as he headed to the door. "Um..Spencer..?" Spencer turned to face her, not sure if she'd even said anything as quiet as her voice was. Victoria curled up with her pillow once more, squeezing it tightly as her eyes focused on him. "Hurry back, okay?" She said, turning away after he gave her a nod. Spencer stared at her a while longer, his grip tightening on the door handle as he finally left the room. Victoria let out a shaky sigh, burying her face in her pillow to muffle her sobs.

~Small Time Skip~

Victoria's eyes burned from crying for so long, her body exhausted from the constant tear shed. Despite feeling so exhausted, she still couldn't relax enough to fall asleep, her memories flooding back whenever she shut her eyes. She whimpered softly as her stomach growled loudly, the lack of food finally getting to her as well. She wanted to get up to eat, but her head was pounding so bad she couldn't even move. She could only lay there, holding her stomach as her head rested on her tear stained pillow. There were times where she'd broke down before, but she had never felt this low. Normally she could at least eat or sleep, but now both seemed impossible. But, there was still the smallest silver lining.

She was still waiting for Spencer's return. He'd been gone for almost 2 hours, and Victoria was feeling completely alone. She was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't coming back. It wasn't like he could forget about her, but maybe he couldn't comfort her. Victoria hissed in pain as her head throbbed, fighting back more tears as her stomach growled once again. Her eyes widened slightly as someone knocked on her door, ignoring her pain as she slowly stood up. "Victoria..? Are you still awake?" She made her way to the door at the sound of the familiar voice, holding her head as she turned the handle. "This isn't what I'd call hurrying back, Reid." She said bitterly, leaning against the door once he was inside. "I'm sorry I took so..you've been crying again." He said softly, noticing her bloodshot eyes. "I'm fine. What did you have to go and get, anyway?" She asked, her voice hoarse from crying so much. "I wanted to get something that would cheer you up." He said, smiling slightly as he handed her a small bag. Victoria held the bag in her hand, her eyes widening slightly as she quickly started to open it. His smile widened as her eyes lit up, watching as she made her way to the bed, cinnamon roll in hand. Victoria took a bite of the roll, laying back on the bed as she let out a loud groan of satisfaction. "I'm guessing you like it." Spencer said, shaking his head as she just gave him a thumbs up. "I was kind of laying here, starving to death. Where did you get this?" She asked, sitting up and taking another bite. "I had to call your aunt just to figure out where I could get one. I had Garcia look up her number for me." He said, noticing the look she gave him. "How come you didn't ask Garcia where to find it, silly." She said, smiling slightly as she munched on her dessert. "I figured it would be better to ask a local. I wanted to get the very best, so I asked your aunt. Unfortunately it was a little farther than I expected it to be." He said, making his way to sit down as she patted the spot next to her. "If you got this from where I think you did, the best place is at least 45 minutes away from here. You drove that long?" She said, her eyes lighting up as he nodded. "I would've asked Morgan or JJ to take me, but your aunt said they would probably be closing in an hour or so. I figured I would have to hurry so I just-" Spencer was cut off as Victoria pressed her lips against his cheek, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Thank you, Spencer. I needed that." She said, her eyes recovering their vibrant look once more. She couldn't help but chuckle as heat rose to his cheeks, moving closer to him as she pulled him into a hug. "I think you might be sweeter than my cinnamon rolls." She said, smiling as she felt his heartbeat quicken. "Y-You're welcome..?" He squeaked out, slightly tense under her embrace. "I know it might seem a bit selfish to ask but, would you stay with me for a while?" Victoria asked quietly, smiling as he quickly nodded.

"Y-You know, cinnamon buns are said to have originated in-" "Sweden." Victoria finished, chuckling as Spencer gave her a small smile. "They're also called cinnamon snails." He said, smiling as she laughed. "So I've read, though I've never really heard someone say it. It's a cute little name though, I like it. Apparently my love for them started when I was still a baby. At least that's what my dad told me. I guess one day, my dad decided to treat my mom to one, and apparently everything she ate I always wanted. So, I started to cry until she gave me a small piece. And that one little piece led to the obsession you see that I have." She said, smiling as Spencer just shook his head with a smile. "It seems your child like behavior whenever you see one is the same also." He said, laughing as she hit him with a pillow. "I do not have child like behavior! I am very much an adult, thank you very much." She stated, crossing her arms as she pouted. "It's actually very cute." He said, his eyes widening as he accidentally voiced his thoughts out loud. Victoria just stared at him, her own eyes wide as a smile formed on her face. "Is that your way of saying you think I'm cute..?" She asked slowly. "N-No, er, I-I mean your behavior is c-cute. N-Not exactly you b-but your behavior. N-Not saying you aren't cute too..! I-It's just I meant that-!" Spencer's rambling was cut off as Victoria started to laugh. She started to calm down as she noticed the look on his face, reducing to a giggle as she smiled. "Oh Spencer, don't look like that. I'm not laughing at you, I just couldn't help it..! I always find your rambling so sweet, especially when you get flustered. Just like you are now." She said, chuckling as his face somehow got redder. "But don't worry, I get what you were trying to say. And I must say, you're rather cute yourself." Spencer raised an eyebrow at the statement, his face slowly returning to its normal color. "I thought most people describe men as handsome..?" He asked. "They do, but I'm not most people. You're very cute, Spencer Reid. Cutest man I have ever seen." She said, chuckling. "And also.." She said slowly, crawling towards him as he slowly moved backwards. "Any woman should know that an intelligent man is very, very sexy." She said, stifling a laugh as redness spread up to his ears. "Y-You think I'm..?" Victoria let out a small chuckle as she nodded her head, kissing his cheek. "And like I said before, you're incredibly sweet. I can't remember anyone other than my dad going to such great lengths to make me feel better. I really, really appreciate this, Spencer. Thank you." She said quietly, moving away as she went to lay down. "Feeling tired now..?" He said softly, smiling slightly as she nodded.

Spencer stood from the bed, giving her a small smile as he made his way to the door. "Hey Spencer..?" She said softly, getting comfortable underneath the covers. "I meant everything I said, you know. I wasn't kidding." She said, her eyes focused on his own. "I know. Thanks." He said, smiling as he made his way out the door. Victoria smiled as she rested her head on her pillow, exhaustion quickly overcoming her as she finally fell asleep.

~In The Morning~

Victoria groaned loudly as someone knocked on her door, pulling her pillow over her head to try and sleep. The person at the door was determined, though, the knocking continuing until she finally got up. Making her way to the door, she let out a frustrated sigh as she opened the door. "Derek Morgan what the HELL do you want?!" She said angrily, glaring at the man as he held up his hands. "Whoa whoa..! Calm down, miss thing. Hotch told me to come and get you. He says we're leaving in the afternoon, so you should hurry up if you still wanna visit your aunt's ranch." He said, smiling as her expression softened. "He's still letting us visit..? I'll be down in 20 minutes." She said quickly, closing the door as she ran to the bathroom. Discarding her robe and her nightgown, she quickly hopped into the shower and closed the door, turning on the water and letting it rain down on her. Normally, Victoria would be more than happy to just stand under the shower head and feel the water against her skin, but there was no time as she lathered her skin in soap. Humming softly to herself, she stood under the water as it rinsed her off, running her fingers through her hair as she closed her eyes. Once she was cleaned off, she turned off the water and opened the door, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her form. Grabbing another towel, she wrapped it around her hair, moving to the sink to brush her teeth. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she let out a small sigh, thankful that the stress she felt last night was gone. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face, her cheeks turning red as she remembered last night. She couldn't take her aunt's advice, right..? They worked together, so it would be wrong...

At least that's what she tried to convince herself. Only it didn't really work.

~Small Time Skip~

Victoria stood in the elevator, holding her bag as she waited to reach the main floor. Her eyes watched as the numbers counted down, a small smile on her face as the doors started to open. Making her way to the front door, she threw her bag over her shoulder as she pushed the door open and made her way outside. Pulling her shades from her shirt, she slid them on as she made her way over to the two SUV's, watching as her team loaded in their stuff. JJ was the first to notice her as her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're wearing that to your aunt's? I highly doubt she'll approve." JJ said, taking Victoria's bag and placing it next to her own. "It's 88 degrees out here. I highly doubt she'll mind." Victoria said, smiling as JJ shook her head. "Auntie might not approve, but I certainly do." Victoria turned her attention to Morgan, chuckling as he let out a wolf whistle. "Easy there, mister. You must remember, looking is a privilege I have given you. Touching is a privilege you must earn." She said, smirking as he pouted. "Please tell me what I must do to achieve said privilege." He said, laughing as both Victoria and JJ rolled their eyes. "I know what you can do. Become a genius and change your name to Spencer Reid. Then that privilege is yours." JJ said, smirking as Victoria turned and glared at her. "Don't be silly. Spencer doesn't have that privilege. Yet." She said, smiling as the three of them laughed. "I get the feeling pretty boy is real close to earning it, though." Morgan said, shaking his head with a smile as Victoria winked at him. "What am I earning?" Spencer asked, approaching the three. Victoria giggled softly as Spencer's eyes landed on her, watching as he tried to look elsewhere. "You know, we could've meant someone else." Victoria said, crossing her arms. "I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one Morgan calls 'pretty boy'. Who else could you be referring to?" He said, making Victoria roll her eyes. "Fine, we might've meant you. And we were saying you were earning the privilege to touch." She said, smirking as JJ and Morgan tried not to laugh. "Privilege to touch? Touch what?" He asked, confused. Victoria's smirk widened as she made her way over to him, the look in her eyes making him back away until he bumped into the truck behind him. "Victoria, what are you-?" "Privilege to touch me, silly. Wouldn't you like to touch me, doctor..?" She asked sweetly, pushing herself against him. She didn't wait for him to respond before she turned around, causing him to nearly jump onto the hood of the vehicle as she brushed her ass against his front. "I'll be driving. Gotta show you guys how to get there." She said, taking the keys from JJ as she walked to the drivers side of the first vehicle. "Man, that girl is gonna give you a heart attack." Morgan said, laughing as he turned his attention to Spencer. The poor genius just stood there, completely speechless as Morgan patted his back. "Come on kid, you can ride with me. I think you've had enough shocks to your system for now." He said, shaking his head with a smirk as he headed to the second truck.

~To The Ranch~

Victoria was the first out of the car, adjusting her shorts as she closed the door. "Wow. This place is huge." JJ said, walking over to stand next to the red eyed woman. "It most certainly is. My aunt put a lot of work into this place." Victoria replied, fiddling with the knot on her shirt. Once she saw the rest of the team was out of the car, she headed towards the ranch, smiling as she saw her aunt making her way over. "I'm so glad you all could make it!" Suzanne exclaimed happily, pulling her niece into a hug. "How are you, honey?" She asked softly, placing a hand on Victoria's cheek as she smiled. "I'm doing so much better. I had someone to cheer me up last night." Victoria said, her aunt immediately glancing back at Spencer. "I'm guessing you were able to get her that surprise, Dr. Reid?" She asked, smiling as he nodded with a smile of his own. "Surprise..? Are we missing something here..?" JJ asked, glancing between the three of them. "I'll explain later. Right now, it's time to explore my aunt's ranch!" Victoria said excitedly, grabbing her aunt's hand as she ran towards the place. "Ironically last night, she was defending the fact that she doesn't have child like behavior whatsoever." Spencer said, smiling as they all headed after the pair. "Speaking of last night, you wanna explain that surprise..?" Morgan asked, walking next to the boy genius. "She wasn't doing too good last night." Spencer said sadly, glancing down at his shoes as he walked. "I wanted to find something to cheer her up, and the only thing I could think of that would work was a cinnamon roll. It did the trick pretty well." He said, smiling as he remembered the look on her face. "Well that was very sweet of you, Spence. I'm sure she really appreciated it." Said JJ, smiling as he nodded happily. "She did. She's also very affectionate, it seems." He muttered, starting to turn red as he rubbed his cheek. "You show plenty of affection to someone you like, Reid." Morgan replied, patting his shoulder as Spencer just looked confused. "What makes you say that? Victoria and I are good friends, but I doubt she likes me." He stated simply. "But, you most certainly like her. And I know for a fact that she likes you. She's very affectionate towards you, constantly teases you, and she loves playing with your hair. Then there's you, who seems to love when she plays with your hair. You get flustered around her a lot more than you do with usual people, and you've known her for 10 months now. And even now, you literally drove somewhere to get her a single cinnamon roll last night just so she would smile again. If that doesn't prove that you two are totally into each other, I don't know what else will." JJ said, smiling at him before walking ahead. Spencer felt his face starting to heat up. "You really think she likes me..?" He asked softly, turning to Morgan, who just smiled at him. "I certainly do, kid. But, the only one who can find out for sure is you." Morgan replied, the two of them following after JJ.

Victoria stood there waiting for her friends, letting out a small sigh as her aunt stood next to her, arms crossed. "I still say they're too short." Suzanne said, glancing at the younger woman's shorts. "Aunt Suzanne, this is your fourth time mentioning it. It's not my fault it's so hot out here." Victoria said, rolling her eyes. "True, but you could've at least worn a shirt that covered your stomach. Unless you're trying to impress that doctor of yours." She replied, chuckling as Victoria's cheeks flushed red. "That isn't the reason. At least, not entirely." Victoria said, making her way to her approaching teammates before her aunt could say anymore. "You guys are quite slow when you wanna be." She said, chuckling as she stood there. "Follow me, I remember this place like, well, everything else." Victoria turned on her heels as she made her way along the land, a small smile on her face as she remembered her childhood. Making her way towards the barn, she couldn't help but chuckle at the large pen of cows. "Any new ones, aunt Suzanne?" She asked, making her way over to the pen. "Actually, there was one born a week..ago." Suzanne barely finished her sentence as Victoria took off towards the pen, chuckling as she watched the young agent climb onto the pen. "She's kept her love for animals, apparently. Especially the babies." Said Rossi, chuckling while the others just smiled. As the others made their way to the fence, Victoria sat happily on the fence, her smile widening as she spotted the small calf. "It's so cute..!" She squeaked out, turning to face her aunt with pleading eyes. "The mother is a little feisty, honey. I know just how much you like to pet everything, but not this time." She said, frowning as Victoria let out a whine. Letting out a sigh, Victoria lightly petted one of the cows as it walked by, smiling as she climbed off the fence.

"I do have a lovely surprise for you, honey. I'm sure your father alerted you on what happened a few years back." Suzanne said softly, Victoria giving her a small smile as she nodded. "I know that must've been hard. But, do you remember what I told you on how Ray and I first started?" She asked, smiling. "Of course. You said he helped you get a horse back. What about it?" Victoria asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I think Cinnamon remembered you even after you'd been gone for a while. She decided to leave you something behind." Suzanne couldn't help but chuckle as Victoria's eyes lit up, watching as she raced off into the barn. "I'm gonna guess that Cinnamon is a horse?" Hotch asked. "She was, actually. She belonged to Victoria when she was a little girl. You can guess what inspired the name." Suzanne said, smiling as they all nodded knowingly. "Sadly, Cinnamon died a few years ago. But she-" Suzanne was quickly cut off as she heard a loud squeal from inside the barn. "She left behind a beautiful young foal, that's grown into quite the mare." Suzanne finished, leading the group into the barn. Victoria stood at the very last stall, her hand reaching out to whatever stood there. She gasped softly as the gentle creature moved closer to her, chuckling softly as it sniffed her hand. "She's beautiful." Victoria said softly, smiling as the mare pushed her nose against her hand. "She's almost an exact replica of her mother, only her mane and tail are black." Victoria quickly swung herself over the stall door, standing still as the mustang sniffed her. "You know, mustangs are descendants of Spanish horses that were bought to the U.S. by Spanish explorers back in the 16th century. They've bred with-" "Reid, please. I don't wanna hear about horses breeding while in a stable full of them. Or ever, for that matter." Morgan said, glancing around the barn. "They've bred with many horses over the years, which has resulted in what you see here. Unless you truly know Spencer plans to mention the full on process of how horses breed, bite your damn tongue, Derek Morgan." Victoria said firmly, glaring at the man before turning her attention back to the mare. Morgan's eyebrows shot up in surprise, glancing around as he noticed everyone held the same shocked expression.

"Aunt Suzanne, does she have a name?" Victoria asked softly, returning to her calm and happy demeanor. "Ah, no she doesn't. I thought it would be best if you named her. She's yours, after all." Suzanne replied, smiling as she leaned against the stall. "She..she's mine..?" Victoria said, smiling as her aunt nodded. Running her hand along the mare's neck, her smile widening as the animal exhaled through her nose. "She's like a giant chestnut." Victoria said, lightly petting the white hair that went down the middle of her face. "Would you like to take her out? I haven't done it yet, hon." Suzanne said, chuckling as Victoria rapidly nodded. "Think you can remember how to- oh, of course you can." She said, shaking her head at the question she was gonna ask. "I'm guessing horses are one of your favorite animals, Tori. And I'm also guessing they enjoy you, too. Chestnut seems like she's warmed up to you already." JJ said, smiling as she watched the young woman. "She's always had such a way with animals. It's impressive, honestly." Suzanne stated, opening the stall door. Everyone gave the pair some space as Victoria led the horse out by a rope. "Please tell me we get to see a little agent Holsen ride a horse before we go." Rossi said, chuckling. "That, my dear uncle Rossi, is completely up to Chestnut. It seems like she trusts me, but I'm not sure she'd be too happy about me immediately throwing a saddle on her back." Victoria replied, leading the horse to a wide pen. "Well then, while you two bond some more, how about I fix you all some breakfast." Suzanne said, smiling. "That's quite alright, Ms. Holsen. We don't want to impose." Hotch said, giving her a smile. "Nonsense. I insist. Consider it a thanks for taking such good care of my niece. Come on." She said, waving for everyone to follow her as she made her way to her house. "Have fun, you guys. Trust me, you'll love everything she makes." Victoria said, waving to the group.

Climbing onto the fence, Victoria smiled as she watched her new horse gallop around. "She's quite pretty." Victoria gasped softly as she turned around, letting out a small sigh as Spencer stood there with a smile. "She certainly is. Hey, climb up here with me." She said, giggling as he glanced between her and the fence. "I'd rather not." He said, shaking his head. "Fine by me. How come you didn't head inside with the others?" She asked, turning her attention to the mustang as Spencer leaned on the fence. "I kind of wanted to ask you about something. What made you so angry at Morgan before?" He said, glancing at her. "I just don't like it." She said, letting out a sigh. "You happily listen to any random story he brings up about whatever ladies he's hooked up with, as well as anything else the others have to say. But whenever you start talking about facts or anything else that interests you, they all seem so uninterested and bored, either leaving or simply cutting you off completely." She stated sadly, glancing down at her fellow genius. "It's like you mentioned last night, people don't really want to hear what they can't really understand. Besides, I often start rambling on in the middle of it." He said, shrugging slightly. "That shouldn't matter. Anyone can ramble on about anything, genius or no genius. Besides, it's cute when you do it." She said, chuckling. "Why do you find everything I do to be cute?" He asked, smiling slightly. "Because it's true, silly. I already told you, you are the cutest man I know. As well as the sweetest." She replied, running a hand through his hair. Victoria couldn't help but giggle as Spencer let out a content sigh, relaxing under her touch. "Interesting how you used to hate this." She said, smiling as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I didn't exactly hate it. It was just embarrassing to have my hair toyed with." He said, smiling a little. "Aww, there was no need to be embarrassed. If you enjoy something, you shouldn't hide it. Same thing with people, which is why I am more than happy to call you cute." Victoria said, giggling.

Chestnut strolled over to the pair, letting out a soft noise as Victoria placed a hand on her nose. "Hey, give me your hand for a second." She said, holding her other hand out to him. Hesitant for a moment, Spencer finally placed his hand in hers, blushing slightly at the contact. As she moved his hand closer to Chestnut, she frowned as he jerked his arm back slightly. "Come on, Spencer. It's not like she's gonna bite you. It'll be fine, I promise. But you have to relax. If she senses your nervousness, it'll stir her up. Just relax, okay..?" She said softly, watching him closely. Spencer stared at her for a moment, finally relaxing his arm when she gave his hand a slight squeeze. "Good. Come on, stand on the fence." She said, a soft smile on her face. Placing his feet on the bottom of the fence, Spencer stood himself up on it, Victoria holding onto his hand. Once he balanced himself, Victoria guided his hand over to Chestnut, placing it on the middle of her face. Victoria smiled as she let go of his hand, watching happily as he pet the mustang. "See, it's not so bad." She said, lightly patting his back. "No, it isn't. She's quite soft." He said, smiling as Victoria giggled. "Very soft. It's one of the reasons I love horses so much. They're one of my favorite animals." She said softly, running a hand along Chestnut's neck. Spencer stared at Victoria as he continued petting Chestnut, smiling as he noticed the familiar twinkle in the woman's eyes. "They're soft, graceful, and-" "Beautiful." Spencer said softly, his eyes glued to the red eyed woman. Victoria turned her head to face him, blushing slightly as she realized he wasn't referring to the mare. Victoria wasn't sure if it was her moving or Spencer moving, the gap between the two starting to close.

"Hey brainiacs!" Victoria jumped as she quickly whipped her head around at the sound of a voice, her long hair slapping Spencer across the face and knocking him down. Thankfully, Spencer reacted quickly, grabbing onto the fence to keep from hitting the ground. "Come on, breakfast is ready!" Morgan called to them, waving them over. "I guess we should- Spencer? Oh!" Victoria quickly spun around and dropped down off the fence, helping Spencer to his feet. "What happened to you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your hair is dangerous." He stated simply, holding his eye. "Oh, sorry about that. Let me see your eye." She said, moving his hand. Inspecting his eye, Victoria let out a small hum. "I think it's fine. Close it really quick." She said, smiling. Spencer stared at her curiously, closing the one eye. Placing her hands on his cheeks, Victoria pulled him down a little, planting a kiss on his eye. "Feel better?" She asked, giggling as he quickly nodded. "Good. I have to get Chestnut back in her stall, maybe give her more hay. Tell Morgan and the others I'll be there in a few, okay?" She said, smiling as she grabbed the rope and hopped into the pen. Spencer made his way over to Morgan, red up to his ears as he thought of what almost happened. "Why so red, kid? Something happen?" Morgan asked, raising an eyebrow as Spencer just walked past him. "It's nothing don't worry about it." Spencer said quickly, making his way to the house.

~Time Skip~

As everyone boarded the jet, Victoria gave her aunt one more hug. "I'm so glad you came, honey. I just wish you could stay longer." Suzanne said, giving Victoria a kiss on the cheek. "So do I. But I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. Take good care of Chestnut for me, okay?" Victoria said, smiling. "I will, sweetie. Make sure you catch those bad guys out there, and stay safe, okay? And remember what I told you." Victoria blushed slightly as she nodded her head, smiling as her aunt kissed her head. "I love you, Victoria." Suzanne said softly, a wide smile on her face. "I love you too, aunt Suzanne. Oh, and tell Ray it was nice meeting him." Victoria replied, giving her aunt another hug before heading to the jet. The door closed once she was on board, joining the others as she put her bag in an overhead. Taking a seat and buckling up, she rested her head against the chair, letting out a sigh as the jet started to take off. "We've gotta visit your aunt more often. She makes a crazy good breakfast." Morgan said, JJ nodding in agreement. "That was a one time thing, Morgan. Only one who gets my aunt's tasty meals will be me." Victoria replied, glancing back at him with a smirk. She'd apologized to him after breakfast, thankful that he seemed to understand. Once it was alright to walk around, Victoria was the first out of her seat, making her way over to Spencer. She couldn't help but chuckle as she watched him fly through a book. "Mind if I join you?" She asked softly, smiling as he quickly looked up at her. "Sure, go ahead." He said, smiling as she sat across from him.

"My aunt says I should bring you guys back sometime. She'll show you how to milk a cow." Victoria said, giggling at the look Spencer gave her. "I'm not sure I'd be too interested in that." He replied, making her groan. "Don't worry, it's fun! It can be a bit difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it, it isn't bad at all. Just grab the teats and squeeze. You don't pull. You don't tug. You just squeeze." She said, making a squeezing motion with her hands. "I highly doubt it's that simple. Plus, the possibility of being kicked by a cow is not really something I want." He said, frowning slightly at the thought. "You'll be kicked by me if you don't stop acting that way, silly. You just have to stay calm and confident. You freak out, the cow freaks out. Cow freaks out, you get a nice kick. And just make sure you aren't hurting her, then you're normally fine." She said, a wide smile on her face. "Ever held a chicken?" She asked, chuckling as he shook his head. "Milking cows and holding chickens. I've already got two things for you to do the next time we visit. Three, actually. I'm getting you on a horse. Don't you look at me that way, Spencer Reid." She said, rolling her eyes as he stared at her in horror. "Are you crazy..?! I am not riding a horse..! I don't wanna be kicked by cows, and I certainly don't wanna be thrown off a horse." He said, frowning as she laughed. "You are too cute. But, you're still doing it. I'll even let you ride Chestnut. She didn't seem to mind you. It's not that bad, Spencer." She said softly, getting up and moving to sit next to him. "I milked my first cow at 6 years old. Held a chicken when I was 8 years old. I was 10 years old the first time I rode Cinnamon. Last time I rode her, I was 19. Of course, I remembered exactly what to do. These things are only as difficult as you make them, Spencer. You can't be so nervous. If you're nervous, of course the animals will be nervous..! But if you're calm and relaxed, they will be too. But, you have to treat them gently, too. Trust me, they'll return the gentleness you display. Understand?" Victoria said softly, giving him a warm smile. "I..I suppose so." He said quietly, his eyes locked on her red ones. "Good. I'll let you get back to your book, okay?" She said, patting his leg as she stood up. "W-Wait..!" He said quickly, grabbing her hand. "What is it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "W-Well, I was wondering if, I mean, if we finish our work in time, you would join me for coffee later..?" He asked quietly, slowly releasing her hand. Victoria couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face. "I'd absolutely love to, Spencer." She said, smiling as she walked back to her seat. Spencer let out a sigh of relief, sinking down in his chair as he opened his book, picking up where he left off, the redness in his face starting to subside.

~Later That Evening~

Once she finished her report, Victoria stood and gave a long stretch. She was able to go home and change once they'd landed, as so kindly suggested by Hotch. Glancing around the bullpen, she saw her fellow coworkers still working. Deciding to leave them alone, she made her way to Garcia's room. Once she reached her door, she gave a small knock, making her way in. "Excuse me. I'm looking for a super sexy, super smart technical analyst. Have you seen her?" Victoria said, smirking as Garcia spun around in her chair. "Oh honey, you have found her. What brings you by, my sweet female genius." Garcia said, smiling at the woman. "I got bored and decided to come to the most fun person I know. I also have something to tell you." Victoria said, chuckling as Garcia leaned forward in her chair. "Is it that you have a secret stash of steamy hot pictures of yourself that I need to delete?" Garcia said teasingly, smirking as Victoria rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly. I would've told you about something like that ages ago. It's just that a certain someone invited me to have coffee with them this evening." She replied, shaking her head as Garcia let out a squeal. "Oh that's even better than pictures! It's about time, I mean seriously there's so much sexual tension between you to it's suffocating!" Garcia said excitedly, causing Victoria to burst out laughing. "Sexual tension? Really? There's not even a hint of it in the air. If anything, I just sexually harass the poor man. Though I haven't heard any complaints over it." Victoria said, a sly smirk on her face. "That is true. But, there's sexual tension, my ruby eyed beauty. You just express yourself more than our little boy genius, but I notice how he looks at you. Or at least, how he tries not to look." Garcia said smoothly, motioning Victoria closer with her finger.

Victoria quickly made her way over, taking a seat on the edge of her desk. "I doubt he's looked at me in a way like that, but I'm more than happy to listen to what you have to say." Victoria said sweetly. "In simpler terms, you're nosy and desperate to know. Gotcha. Well sweet pea, Dr. Spencer Reid has taken a lot more interest in you in the past six months. Remember that day you came to work in the skinny jeans and the low cut sweater that showed quite a bit of your individual assets? Don't you also remember how Reid's shirt had quite a few coffee stains on it when he left that day? That man loves his caffeine too much to accidentally spill it so often. Unless he's being distracted, of course." Garcia said, smirking as Victoria raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. "Then remember when you came wearing that cute little pencil skirt with the tight blouse? Seems as if that was National Bend Over Day because honey, every time you did, I thought he would faint." She said, laughing as Victoria just shook her head. "You've gotta be kidding. I never suspected a thing." Victoria said, giggling at the thought of Spencer nearly fainting. "No one would. He does well hiding his interest, but he's still human. He can't help but to let his eyes wander over. And you have quite a lot to be seen by a wandering eye, miss Holsen." Garcia said, smiling. "I suppose. Not like I asked for everything, though. It just kind of, you know, popped in." Victoria said, blushing slightly. "Boy, did it pop." Garcia said, the two of them bursting into laughter. "Also, a little Morgan bird told me that you sort of, rubbed your butt against Spencer's..area? While wearing those cute little short shorts you own?" Garcia said, her eyes going wide as Victoria nodded her head. "Okay, if you could just do that naked-" "Penelope!" Victoria said quickly, laughing at her crazy friend's antics. "What! It's true! It needs to happen! Besides, you know you wanna. And I can guarantee he wants you to. Okay okay, maybe wearing a towel. But then you have to lose the towel. I notice how you look at him every single day, sweetie. And with the look in your eyes right now, you wanna devour him faster than your cinnamon rolls." Garcia said, a small smirk on her face. "You're wrong, Penelope." Victoria said simply, getting up and heading to the door. "I was just kid-" "Spencer isn't someone to devour. You have to savor him, taking every bit by bit. Piece by piece." Victoria opened the door, stepping out as she peeked her head in, a small smile on her face. "Inch by inch." She finished, closing the door and making her way back to her desk, a smirk spread across her face.


	9. Sweeter Than Cinnamon Snails {Pt. 2}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rather short chapter as the two geniuses have their first date. With another one planned, what'll happen when Victoria's father brings bad news?

As Victoria made her way back to the bullpen, she was quite pleased to see Spencer packing up his things. Making her way down the stairs, she made her way over to him, a small smile on her face as she crept up behind him. She blew lightly on his ear, laughing as he jumped with a yelp. "Someone's easily scared." Victoria said, smiling at him. "That was a perfectly reasonable reaction considering you snuck up on me." Said Spencer, frowning slightly as he stood upright. "I know I know, I'm only kidding. I hope you aren't upset enough to cancel our plans." She said, pouting innocently. "Not at all..! I was just packing up, actually. I'm ready to go when you are." He said, smiling slightly. "Fantastic. I dropped my bag off at home earlier, so I'm ready right now. I know the perfect place." She said, heading to the doors. Victoria let out a groan, pinching the bridge of her nose as she heard JJ and Derek making kissing noises behind her. "Why do they keep doing that?" Spencer asked, confused. "Don't ask. Just keep walking." Victoria said , pushing him towards the elevator and pressing the button. "If it bothers you, why don't you ask them to stop?" He said, glancing at her. "It doesn't really bother me. It's just those two being ridiculous. You really don't know what that means?" She asked, slightly surprised as he shook his head. "Whenever I ask, no one wants to explain it to me. Is it some big secret or something?" He asked, his eyebrow furrowing. "Oh Spencer.." Victoria said, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the elevator. "I'd be more than happy to explain it to you. Along with so much more." She said, smirking slightly as the elevator doors closed. 

 

"Think you understand it now?" Victoria asked, stepping out as the elevator doors opened. "I..I believe so." Spencer said slowly, walking next to her. "I could always give you a demonstration, my dear doctor." She said, chuckling as she watched his face start to turn red. "I'm kidding. Relax a little, Spencer." She said, smiling at him as she rubbed his back. "I-I'm fine." He said, smiling slightly. "A nice cup of coffee will soothe you. I'll even buy you a dessert to go with it." She said, smiling as they reached her car. "I can't allow you to buy me anything, Victoria. I was actually planning to buy for you, if you didn't mind." He said, smiling. Victoria thought about it for a moment, smiling as she let out a small sigh. "Alright, I'll allow it. But just this once." She replied, the two of them entering her car. 

 

~Time Skip~ 

 

As the two made their way into the coffee shop, Victoria let out a content sigh as the smell of coffee hit her nose. "I love this little coffee shop. You know, this place has been open since 1940, and they have the best blueberry muffins I've ever tried." Victoria said, smiling as they stood in line. "You come here frequently, I'm guessing?" Spencer said, smiling as she chuckled. "You could say that. I've become a bit of a regular here." She replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "Welcome to-oh! Hey Victoria, great to see you again! That's a caramel frappuccino and a blueberry muffin. And what will your friend be having this evening?" The cashier said, smiling as Victoria's cheeks flushed. "I think a bit of a regular is an understatement." Spencer said, laughing as Victoria rolled her eyes. "Biggest cup of coffee you have so I can pour it on him." She said, chuckling. "And make that two blueberry muffins. He's trying one before we leave." The cashier finished totaling up their orders, Spencer pulling out his wallet to pay. "My my, what a gentleman. Good call, Victoria." She said, winking at the red eyed agent. "He most certainly is." Victoria said, giggling as Spencer's cheeks started to heat up. "Come on, I know the perfect table." She said, grabbing his hand and pulling him over to a table by the window. 

 

"You truly like this place, don't you?" Spencer asked, looking around the shop. "I certainly do. I've been coming here for 5 years now. Other than cinnamon rolls, their blueberry muffins are my absolute favorites." Victoria replied, smiling. "You seem to enjoy bakery themed foods." He said, smiling at her. "I certainly do. Muffins, cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls. I love them all. I've just known cinnamon rolls longer than the others." She said, giggling. "They just give me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Especially during the winter time." Spencer eyed the young woman closely, a warm smile spreading across his face as he noticed the bright look in her eyes. The two of them kindly thanked the cashier as she brought them their orders, Victoria immediately going for the muffin. "You are going to try this with me." She said, quickly slapping his hand as he reached for his coffee. "Ow! Why?" He said, letting out a sigh as she pointed at the muffin. "Muffin first. Your coffee can wait." She said firmly, smiling as he picked up the muffin. "You're going to love it, I promise. If you don't, I'll gladly eat it for you. Okay, here we go." The two of them slowly removed the wrappers and took a bite, Victoria letting out a long sigh. "It's not bad at all." Said Spencer, taking another bite of the treat. "I told you that you'd enjoy it." Victoria replied, halfway finished with her own muffin. "Am I allowed to have my coffee now?" He asked, smiling as she nodded. 

 

"I thought you only preferred hot coffee." He said, adding sugars to his own cup. "I absolutely adore caramel frappuccinos. Hot coffee is simply what I drink while we work, but these are my favorites." She said, smiling as she took a sip through the straw. "What else do you really like?" Asked Spencer, drinking his own coffee. "I really like a lot of things. As you can guess, I love animals. I love sweets. I really love classical music. There's something so soothing about a piano, I just can't explain it. When it comes to books, I'm not sure what I love most. I've never really enjoyed nonfictional books for some reason. I've always had a thing for fantasy or science fiction. Even drama books can be interesting sometimes. If I really had to choose, I'd say fantasy is my favorite genre. There's just something so exhilarating about getting lost in the world of a book while I'm reading. I can't explain the feeling, but it's truly something special. You know what I mean, Spencer." Victoria said softly, her eyes seeming distant as she stared off in another direction. Spencer couldn't help but stare at her, his heartbeat quickening as his eyes scanned over her features. He let out a quiet sigh, taking another sip of coffee as he watched her. Taking a small scoop of her whipped cream on his finger, Spencer slowly stood from his seat, placing it on her nose. Victoria blinked a few times as she snapped back to reality, Spencer stifling his laughter as she tried to look at her nose. She couldn't help but laugh as she wiped the cream off with her finger. "Very funny, Dr. Reid. This is exactly why I call you cute." She said, smiling at him. "You seemed to be a little zoned out. I had to do something." He said, smiling. "Well, it certainly brought me back to reality. But, if this is your way of saying you'd like to put white cream on my face, I'm quite flattered." She said softly, licking her finger clean. Victoria couldn't help but chuckle as Spencer's face turned a deep shade of red. 

 

"N-No..! No no no that's not what I, I mean I wouldn't-" Spencer was cut off as Victoria placed whipped cream on his nose, the young woman bursting into laughter as he tried to look at his nose. "I guess I should've seen that coming." He said, smiling slightly as he started to laugh. "You most certainly should have! Oh, that was absolutely wonderful." Said Victoria, still laughing. Spencer shook his head as he grabbed a napkin, wiping his nose clean. "Very funny, Victoria." He said, smiling at her. "I am a very funny person, Spencer. You know, having an eidetic memory comes in handy more often than not. I would hate not being able to remember the look you had on your face." She said, smiling as she shook her head. "I can understand. The look on your face when you see cinnamon rolls is something anyone would want to remember." He said, letting out a chuckle. "You know what? I say we start calling them cinnamon snails. It's so much cuter." Victoria said happily, drinking her frappe. "Cinnamon snails it is. But, I still don't understand. Why do you always call me cute..? You're the only person I have ever met that constantly finds what I do to be cute." He said softly. "Because you're just plain cute, Spencer. There isn't much to explain. You're very sweet and charming in your own way, and you're extremely brilliant. I know you said handsome is the typical comment for men, but handsome isn't enough for you. Because you are far from being the typical man. Any person who doesn't find you incredibly attractive is simply insane. But, if you don't like it, I can stop calling you-" "I don't mind..!" Spencer said quickly, his cheeks starting to heat up. "I-I don't mind it. It's just that, not a lot of women see me that way. I'm usually the strange, nerdy one that they avoid. Most women go for guys like Morgan." He said, glancing down at the coffee cup in his hand. Victoria frowned as she stood from her seat, making her way over to him. 

 

Bending down, Victoria took Spencer's chin in her fingers, lifting his head up until their eyes met. "Spencer, you are far from strange. And if being a genius makes you a nerd, then I'm just as much of a nerd as you are. As far as most women going for guys like Morgan, that's not my concern. I couldn't give a damn about their preferences. My preference is the cute, hazel eyed, brown haired young male sitting right in front of me. Those women just see muscles and good looks. You know what I'm attracted to? Not only your good looks, but your mind, Spencer. Your sweet personality. Your kind heart. You are the most intelligent, cutest, sweetest, and sexiest man I have ever laid eyes on. And I want you to remember that. Do you understand me?" Victoria said softly, smiling as Spencer just stared at her, completely wide eyed. "Just nod once if you understand, Spencer." She said, giggling as he slowly nodded his head. "Good. Now, it's getting late. We'd better get going." Lightly patting his cheek, Victoria collected their paper wrappers and tossed them in the trash, returning to their table to grab her drink. "Would you like another cup of coffee before we leave? I'm sure yours is cold by now." She said, smiling as he slowly stood up. "I'll be fine..!" He replied quickly, his voice a bit more high pitched than usual. "Alright. Let's get you home then." She said, grabbing his hand and heading out the door. 

 

"You should come over tomorrow. I actually know the recipe for their blueberry muffins." Victoria said, drinking from her straw. "You do..? How did you get it?" Spencer asked, hiding his disappointment as she let go of his hand. "I just asked for it. I was only joking, but the owner was more than happy to give me the recipe. She says it's a thank you for being such a loyal customer." She replied, getting into the drivers side of her car. "You certainly are a loyal customer." He said, smiling slightly as she giggled. "I am indeed. So, what do you say? Will you join me in a good round of baking tomorrow or will I have to bake and eat the muffins myself? I'm fine with either choice, honestly." She said, smiling as she pulled out of the parking lot and drove off. "I think I'd like to come over, if you don't mind. It'll be interesting to see if you can actually bake." He said, smiling at her. "If I can actually- Spencer Reid you offend me. Of course I can bake. I've baked my father a cake before on his birthday, and he was very pleased. I wouldn't even invite you over to bake if I couldn't do it, silly." She said, laughing slightly as she shook her head. "My sincerest apologies, oh wise baker." He said, the two of them laughing together. "You are forgiven, my dear. Do not let it happen again." She said, smiling. "Well then, my lovely doctor, I believe this is your home." Victoria pulled to a stop in front of his apartment building, putting the car in park. "Thanks. I really enjoyed myself." He said, placing his hand on the door handle. Spencer froze for a moment, debating on whether or not he should ask the question that was on his mind. "Spencer, I know that look all too well. Whatever you wanna say, just go ahead and say it. You don't have to hold anything back from me." Victoria said, giving him a warm smile. "It's just, well, I was wondering, was this..a date..?" He said slowly, glancing at her. Victoria let out a small hum, leaning back against her seat. "Well Spencer, a date is defined as a social or romantic appointment or engagement. Considering you were the one who asked me out, it's whatever you want it to be. I'd be happy if you considered it a date, but I wouldn't mind if you just wanted this to be two coworkers having coffee and blueberry muffins together." She said, smiling at him. "I..I'd like this to be a date.." He said, smiling slightly. "Fantastic. We'll consider this our first date, and hopefully there'll be even more to come." Victoria replied happily, a wide smile spread across her face. "Yeah, hopefully. So I'll..see you tomorrow..?" Said Spencer, grabbing his bag and exiting the car. "Yup. I will text you my address once I get home. It was very nice spending the evening with you, Spencer." She said, smiling at him. "You too, Victoria." He said, smiling at her and giving a small wave. Giving a quick wave goodbye, Victoria pulled away from the sidewalk, heading to her own home. 

 

~Small Time Skip~ 

 

Victoria let out a sigh as she picked up her ringing phone off the bed, taking a seat as she answered it. "Yes, Penelope." She said, smiling slightly. "I have been calling you nonstop for 20 minutes straight young lady and I was just about to send Derek to check on you! WHY did it take you so long to answer?!" Penelope said loudly, causing Victoria to hold the phone away from her ear. "Penelope, sweetie, when I said I was home and I'd call you in 20, I meant 20 MINUTES. Not SECONDS." Victoria replied, chuckling as Penelope let out a sigh. "Well, next time be more specific. Anyway, why'd it take so long? Was your time occupied by a certain short haired doctor we all know and love?" She said, making Victoria roll her eyes. "He's at his own home and I'm at mine, honey. I just took a shower when I got in. I haven't even had a chance to get dressed yet because I had to answer your call to make sure you weren't being murdered." Victoria replied, giggling as she laid back on her bed. "Wait, so right now you're-" "In a towel, Garcia. I'm in a towel. And I already know what's about to come out of your mouth. No, I'm not sending him a picture." Victoria said bluntly. "Oh you are just no fun! But, maybe you're right. That'll probably too much of a shock to boy wonder's system." Penelope said, the smile evident in her tone. "Also it's too early, silly. We're not even dating yet. This was only our first date. But, I invited him over tomorrow for a day of baking." Victoria said, smiling at the thought. "Baking, huh? Please tell me you don't mean literal baking." Garcia said, sighing. "I do. We're baking blueberry muffins together. I would say it's to get to know each other, but I think we both know each other's interests already. We've spent a lot of time talking these last few months. At this point, it's just enjoying each other's company." Victoria said softly, a small blush dusting her cheeks. 

 

"You really really like him, don't you?" Penelope said softly, causing Victoria to let out a sigh. "I do, Penelope. It's strange, I've never even considered having a boyfriend. I could never get close to any guy because, well, I-" "Don't, honey. JJ told me what happened to you, and I'm just so sorry it happened. But, you're a strong woman. One of the strongest that I know, and if you feel like you're falling in love with Reid, then you need to go for it." Penelope said softly. "You know, you sound a lot like my aunt." Victoria said, letting out a soft giggle. "Well, great minds think alike. I can assume your aunt is a lovely woman. Speaking of your aunt, didn't you say she was dating the sheriff?" Garcia said excitedly. "I certainly did. Allow me to tell you what I know." Victoria said, a smirk spreading across her face. 

 

~The Next Day~ 

 

"Oh yes..! Yes! Yes! I'm done!" Victoria said excitedly, bouncing in her chair. "You cheated." Spencer said bluntly, dropping the book in his hands onto his desk. "How the hell could I cheat? It's a crossword book, silly. I'm just faster than you." She said, laughing as he shook his head. "Impossible. You probably already had some completed." He said, frowning slightly as she rolled her eyes. "Spencer, these were brand new books. Just admit the fact that I won and you didn't." She said, standing up and poking his nose. "Might as well admit it, Reid. She's got you beat." Morgan said, shaking his head at the pair. "Absolutely not..! There is no possible way that she could win if we started at the exact same time..!" Said Spencer, causing his team to roll their eyes. "Spencer, I read an extra 3,000 words faster than you. There is every possible chance that I could've won. And I did win. You're buying me lunch. End of story." Victoria said, giggling as he let out a sigh. "How close were you?" She asked, reaching for his book. "That's none of your business." Spencer said quickly, snatching the book off his desk. "Oh, you are such a sore loser! Just give me the book!" Victoria said, reaching for the book as he held it further away from her. "Are we sure either of them are adults?" JJ said, laughing as she watched the two. "That's what I've been trying to figure out this entire time." Morgan said, shaking his head as he laughed. Spencer let out a small yelp as Victoria grabbed his tie, yanking him closer to her. "Spencer, you should be fully aware that if I truly wanted to get that book, it would already be in my hands. Now then, are you gonna keep up this little game until I tackle you onto this desk. Or are you gonna be a good doctor for me and hand me that book." She said quietly, her lips inches apart from his own as she bit her bottom lip. Spencer's eyes shifted between her lips and her eyes, his tongue darting out across his own as he slowly handed her the puzzle book. "Much appreciated, Dr. Reid." She said, giggling softly. "Uh, guys? You're at work, remember? It might not be explicitly spelled out, but I doubt they just allow agents to bang on the desks." JJ said, waving her hand to catch their attention. "I suggest they specify then. Because I am oh, so tempted." Victoria said, smirking as she let go of Spencer's tie and stepped away. Spencer let out a cough to clear his throat, glancing down to fix his tie as his cheeks burned red. "Aww, only three words away. You'll get it next time, Spencer." Victoria said, lightly hitting him on the head with the book. Spencer just gave her a small smile, still unsure of what just happened between them. 

 

"Hey Tori, you've got company." Said JJ, nodding her head towards the doors. Victoria turned her head, a smile spreading across her face. "Hey dad!" She said happily. Victoria raised an eyebrow as her dad kept walking, making his way up the steps. "Dad? Dad!" She called, rolling her eyes as he headed into Hotch's office. "That's strange. Your dad never ignores you like that." JJ said, frowning slightly. "I know that look. He's determined about something. Once he gets that way, he wouldn't hear a plane crashing right next to him." She said, shaking her head with a sigh. "You two are just alike, though. Coming in here and needing to go straight to Hotch. You did that on your very first day." Morgan said, smiling at the red eyed woman. "I certainly did. I was anxious to join after seeing the group of characters I was going to work with." Victoria said, the four of them laughing. "But wouldn't he come to you if something was wrong?" Spencer asked, glancing towards Hotch's office. "Normally, yes. But, if he went straight to Hotch, it must be urgent. I'd go and see what's happening, but he might want it to be private." Victoria said, shrugging her shoulders. "You wanna go and see so badly, don't you." Morgan said, laughing as she rapidly nodded her head. "I can't help it, guys. I really worry about my dad. I start to panic if something seems wrong with him. I always have. For him to completely ignore me to go and see Hotch, there's definitely something wrong. Like I said, I know that look." Victoria said, frowning. "I'm sure everything will be alright, Victoria." Spencer said quietly, giving her a soft smile. "I certainly hope so." She said, letting out a sigh. "Looks like we're about to find out." Said Morgan, nodding his head towards Hotch's office. Victoria quickly made her way towards her father and Hotch, pulling her father into a hug. 

 

"Dad, is everything alright?" She asked, her eyes meeting his. "I think your boss can explain it to you, sweetie." He said, lightly squeezing her shoulders. "Everyone, I have some information to share." Said Hotch, heading to the meeting room. "I need to speak to Dave. I'll see you and your team in a minute, honey. Okay?" Pressing a kiss against her forehead, Charles made his way to Rossi's office, leaving Victoria completely confused. "Come on, Tori. We just have to see what's going on." Said JJ, placing a hand on Victoria's shoulder. "I know. It's just..this doesn't make sense. Why won't he tell me anything..?" She said softly, frowning as she trailed behind JJ and Morgan. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt a hand intertwine with her own, glancing over to see it was Spencer. "I know you're worried, but we can only go and see what's going on. It'll be alright, Victoria." He said softly, giving her a gentle smile. "I certainly hope so." She said softly, lightly squeezing his hand as the two walked into their meeting room. Morgan, JJ, Garcia, and Hotch were already waiting for them, the first three couldn't help but smile as they noticed the two holding hands. Even Hotch found the sight rather pleasing, but he had even more important things on his mind. "Hotch, please. Why is my father acting so strange?" Victoria asked softly, her and Spencer taking a seat between Morgan and JJ. "Your father is concerned about a missing friend and has asked for our assistance in finding her." Hotch said simply, giving Charles and Rossi a slight nod as they entered the room. 

 

"I'm terribly sorry to ruin everyone's Friday morning with this, but I desperately need your help. A close friend of mine, Ramona Lexington, is missing. She's been missing for almost 72 hours. I know what you all are thinking, but no, she isn't the kind of woman to just disappear without telling someone. I believe she's been kidnapped. Not only because of her being gone for so long, but there's more to it than that. Agent Hotchner can explain the rest." Everyone turned their attention to Hotch, Victoria raising an eyebrow as pictures started popping up on the screen. "Recently, the Lexington family has been in a lot of danger. One of the family members, Benjamin Lexington, Ramona's oldest brother, has disappeared without a trace. It was suspected that Benjamin was involved in some underground business with a gang, and after double crossing them, they're after his entire family until they can find him. As of now, Anna Lexington, Carl Lexington, and Rose Lexington have been found dead." Hotch explained, the screen showing all three bodies. "Who are they to him?" Asked JJ, frowning at the gruesome images on the screen. "His mother, father, and youngest sister. Rose had just had her 30th birthday." Charles said sadly, shaking his head. "Dad, how do you know for sure she didn't just leave? With this much heat on her family, I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to head somewhere safe. It's a pretty large probability, actually." Victoria said, turning her head towards her father. "I just know. Ramona wouldn't leave her family, especially when they're in danger." Her father replied, frowning slightly as Victoria eyed him closely. "No. That's not all." She said calmly, her hand disconnecting from Spencer's as she stood up. "Dad, are you dating her..?" Victoria asked quietly, her eyes widening slightly as she got closer to him. 

 

"Oh my, you're actually dating this woman. That explains the 'close friend' coverup." Victoria said bitterly, using air quotes around "close friend". "Honey, I know what you're thinking-" "Oh, do you now? That's strange, because I don't even know what I'm thinking. I don't know if I should be happy or angry. I'm leaning more towards angry, but I'm not sure what I should be angry about." She said coldly, a scowl etched deep in her features. "Look, I know you're upset. But please, don't do this now. You can hate me all you want, but right now I just need to find Ramona alive. If I'm going to find her, I need you and your team to help me. Please." Charles said softly, frowning slightly as Victoria let out a frustrated sigh. "We need to know everything about her. Including whatever you two have going on." Victoria said firmly, returning to her seat and turning her chair to face her father. "I know. I really appreciate this." Charles said, making his way to the front of the room. "So much for baking tonight." Spencer said quietly, Victoria letting out a sigh. "Don't worry, we'll get around to it." She said, relaxing slightly as she felt Spencer take her hand underneath the table once more. 

 

They were getting accustomed to the feeling.


	10. Secrets {Pt. 1}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What else could Supervisory Special Agent Holsen be hiding?

Victoria rubbed her temples as she let out a long sigh, her eyes scanning the computer screen as Garcia typed away. "You know, your father probably won't appreciate this, sweet pea." Garcia said, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "We've been investigating this for a full three hours. All we've come to know about miss Ramona is that she met my father five months ago, and her brother is involved in some shady business. A background check is a necessity, Penelope." Victoria replied, frowning as she bent down closer to the screen. 

 

“I know you're probably upset, but I doubt your father would get involved with a woman that was no good. And as far as I can see, Ramona Lexington doesn't even have a record. No coverups, nothing. However, it seems that her parents tried to keep her brother's name as clean as they could, but with this much dirt it's impossible." Penelope made quick work of pulling up Benjamin Lexington's record, glancing up at Victoria as she just stood there with a frown. "A narcissistic bastard who's in love with money and has shown zero concern for his family whilst making his money. He even smiles in his mugshot. This guy has done quite a bit, but he's still not willing to cross the line of murder. Lots of assault charges, though. For someone who doesn't seem to fear anything, this recent trouble sure has him running." Victoria stated calmly, taking a seat on the edge of her friends' desk. 

 

"He's definitely running. I can't track any credit card purchases, which means he's only using cash. Not surprising, since he has so much. The guy emptied out his bank account and the last thing traceable to him is a phone call he made to some private number." Garcia said, pulling up a map with a red dot. "That’s...still in the state.” Victoria said, surprised. “So he’s not running after all. Just laying low, it seems. I wonder what could still be here for him to want to stay. Or who, considering the phone call. I figured he would’ve tried to get into another state somehow. Send this to my phone, Penelope. And keep digging on this guy, along with the rest of his family. Unfortunately, that includes our victims. If we're gonna figure this out, we need everything we can get." Victoria turned to leave, stopping short as Penelope grabbed her wrist. 

 

“I know it's not my business, but don't be so upset with your father. Maybe he didn't tell you because he was afraid of how you'd react. And when we find this lady, try to give her a chance, alright?" She said, smiling as Victoria sighed softly. "I'll try. I'm not making any promises, though." Victoria replied, a small smile on her face. "That's good enough for me. Now, I have to do my digging thing. You go and do your genius thing. I'll let you know the minute I find something. Also go and get a coffee and a cookie. I know how sweets calm you down. Which is weird considering I always thought sugar made people hyper, but what do I know." Garcia said, shrugging as she turned back to her computer. "Actually, it's less about the sugar and more about the carbohydrates of the cookie. Also, I'd have to fully digest it before it actually helped. You see, carbohydrates can-" "Uh huh carbohydrates do the magical thing in the body that makes the thing happen I got it. Now shh, I'm digging." Garcia said, shooing the red eyed woman away. "Well excuse me." Victoria said, chuckling as she made her way to the door. 

 

"Once they're digested carbohydrates release an amino acid that produces a chemical that has a calming effect on the brain!" Victoria said quickly, shutting the door to avoid the pen Penelope threw at her. The smile on her face started to fade as she made her way back to the others, the reality of the case sinking in once more. 

 

"Was Garcia able to find anything?" Hotch asked, turning his attention to Victoria as she entered the room. "Benjamin's poor parents went through a lot of work to keep their son out of trouble. Unfortunately, it never worked. Also it seems as if Benjamin made a phone call to a private number right here in Quantico. Garcia’s trying to figure out the number and location of the call.” Victoria stated, taking a seat among the others. “You mean this guy is still in the state?” Morgan said, surprised as Victoria nodded her head. “That’s what I said.” Victoria replied, shrugging her shoulders. “So we thought he would be running, but instead he just decided to lay low?” JJ asked, Victoria slowly nodding her head. “Said that too. There’s definitely something keeping him here.” Victoria added, twirling a pen between her fingers. 

 

“Maybe it’s his sister.” Spencer piped up from his seat. “Just think about it. She was probably spared for a reason, right?” He added, earning a few nods. Victoria turned to her father, frowning at the troubled look on his face. 

 

"Dad, is there anything else that we need to know about this family? Anything you could've forgotten or-" "No. No, there's absolutely nothing else that I can tell you. Ramona is missing because of her brothers' dirty deeds and we need to find her before it's too late." Charles stated quickly, holding his head in his hands. "We get that part pal, but something isn't making sense to me." Rossi piped up. "These guys killed Benjamin's parents as well as his youngest sister in cold blood. Why would they only take Ramona? They could've easily finished her off like the rest of her poor family." He added, curious looks spreading over everyone's face. "I don't understand it either. It's just..I need some coffee." Charles said, shaking his head as he rose from his chair and left the room. “I'll join him. Maybe we can figure something out together.” Rossi said, starting to follow him. “Don’t.” Victoria said quickly, rising from her seat. “I’ll do it. I think I know what the problem is.” As she left the room, Victoria gave Rossi a reassuring pat on the shoulder, ignoring the questioning glances from her colleagues as she went after her father. 

 

As she approached the break room, Victoria stood in the doorway and watched her father stare at the steaming cup of coffee in his hands. “Dad..?” She spoke softly, easing her way over to him as he still didn’t look at her. “Dad, are you sure you’re remembering everything she’s ever told you..? Any odd hobbies, interests, anything that can help?” She asked, frowning as he heaved a deep sigh. “I’ve been going through as much of our conversations as I can remember, but nothing else is sticking out. I just wish I could’ve saved her.” He said, shaking his head as he took a sip of coffee. “You..still can, Dad. Remember, there’s still a chance that Ramona is alive. That is who we’re talking about here, right?” Victoria asked slowly, studying her father as he visibly tensed up. “Are you trying to profile your father, young lady? I know that look better than anyone. And of course we’re talking about Ramona, who else could I mean?” He replied, glancing at her before turning away. “Well, most would assume Ramona. But then there’s mom..” There was no need to continue as Charles flinched at the accusation. 

 

The two were silent for a while, neither of them knowing what to say to the other. Victoria eyed her father’s hands, watching as they shook ever so slightly, clutching the cup of coffee like a vice. Victoria slowly reached out, taking the cup into her own hands before slowly pulling it away. Placing the drink on the counter, Victoria took her father’s hands and gave them a light squeeze. 

 

“Dad, we’ve talked about this so many times. Believe me, there are times I still feel guilty too, but-“ “You were just a child, Victoria. There was nothing you could’ve done. If only I had’ve gotten there sooner, she would’ve been safe. Would’ve been alive.” Charles said somberly, attempting to pull his hands away, but Victoria’s grip was firm. 

 

“There’s no guarantee of that, Dad. Those men were there for blood. If you had’ve arrived with no clue on who they were or what they wanted, there’s every possible chance that they could’ve killed us all. They could’ve caught you and your partner off guard, then went for mom, then me and aunt Suzanne. We would’ve been witnesses and that was something they couldn’t let slide. Those men were absolute monsters, Dad. They killed mom without knowing anything about her, but two are dead and one is in prison. I think about mom all the time, especially during those cases we get where a mother is murdered. All I can think of is what’s going to happen to those families, those kids. We can’t change the past, Dad, but we can’t let it control our future either. Mom loved you deeply, and I know she’d want you to be happy.” As Victoria finished, she took a deep breath before letting out a shaky sigh. 

 

Charles released his daughter’s hands, wiping away the tears she hadn’t realized had fallen. “How did you ever become such a strong young lady?” He asked, smiling as he embraced her. “Well, I had a pretty good role model.” She said, pulling away as she smiled. Charles only sighed, slowly nodding his head. “That’s true.” He said, the two sharing a laugh. “Come on Dad, we’d better see if the others could figure anything out. We don’t wanna hold them up any longer. You get yourself another cup of coffee first, though. We need you at your best if we’re gonna find Ramona alive. And Dad..?” Victoria said, her father letting out a hum. “I’m sorry for how I reacted earlier.” She said, smiling as her father kissed her forehead. “It’s fine, Victoria. I just appreciate your help.” He said, smiling. With a reassuring smile to her father, Victoria took her leave and returned to their briefing room. 

 

All eyes landed on her as she entered the door, Victoria putting her hands on her waist as she heaved a sigh. “Well, he-“ 

“I GOT IT!” 

 

Victoria jolted as she heard two different voices yell out, turning her head to the closest voice as her father squeezed past her while Garcia entered the other door. “That’s great, Dad, but try not to scream in my ear next time, okay..?” Victoria said, slowly rubbing her ear. Everyone glanced between the new pair in the room, not knowing who to ask first. 

 

“I was able to figure out that private number that Benjamin called!” Garcia said first. 

 

“I remembered something Ramona said that could be important!” Charles said next. 

 

“That’s good for both of you.” Hotch said after a minute of silence. “Charles, what did you remember?” He asked, giving Garcia a quick glance as she rolled her eyes, clearly wanting her finding out first. “It was something she mentioned during one of our..dates.” Charles started, glancing at Victoria as she stared at him with a small smile. “She suddenly had an important call to take, and she didn’t sound too happy with whatever news she got. She mentioned an account she had, and said something about holding some funds that she was saving for a friend. A friend named Jean Long.” As Charles finished, Victoria played around with the name for a moment. “Jean Long. Both names stem from the names Benjamin Lexington. If Benjamin couldn’t open up his own account or add the money to his previous account with raising alarm then he might’ve asked Ramona to do it. Putting the account under an alias would let it go undetected.” She said, turning to Garcia. 

 

“Garcia, what’s that number? And see if you can pull up that account Ramona was keeping.” Victoria said, taking a moment to pat her father on the shoulder. Garcia placed her laptop on the table, her fingers typing away as she spoke. “On it. Okay, so that private number traced back to a phone owned by some lady named Rosetta Collins. She lives in a house with the address of..oh.” Garcia cut herself off, staring at her laptop screen. “What’s wrong?” JJ piped up from her seat. “That, secret-but-not-so-secret bank account Ramona had? It holds 750 grand.” She said, glancing around the room. “Three quarters of a million dollars? Just what has this guy been doing?” Morgan asked. “Apparently everything under the sun. Or considering the trouble he’s in, everything hidden from the sun. Garcia, what was that address from before?” Rossi asked. “Right, it was-“ 

 

“Forget it.” Victoria said quickly. Grabbing her phone off the table. “I know the name and the address. Spencer, Derek, come with me.” Not waiting for a response, Victoria made her way out of the room, the two men glancing at each other before hurrying to follow her. “Victoria? Victoria! Where are we going?” Spencer called after her, finally catching up to her as she waited on the elevator. “First, we’re stopping by my place. Then, we’re going to see an old acquaintance of mine.” Victoria answered, glancing at the pair behind her as the elevator opened. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Just what the hell is taking her so long?” Said Derek, staring at the apartment building Victoria had disappeared into. “I dunno. I’ve never heard her mention anything about an old acquaintance before.” Spencer replied. Morgan glanced in the back seat, raising an eyebrow with a playful smirk. “You mean as much as you two talk there’s something she HASN’T told you? Oh pretty boy, I’d feel a little betrayed if I were you.” Derek teased, chuckling as Spencer just shook his head. “I doubt it’s that important Morgan. Maybe you’re just a little sensitive.” Spencer bit back, grinning as Morgan shook his head. “Whatever you say, Reid. But finally our mystery woman returns.” 

 

Victoria made her way back to the vehicle, opening the door and hopping in with a medium sized shopping mall bag by her side. Placing the bag by her foot, she reached in and took out two pairs of sunglasses, chucking a pair at each of them. “You’ll need those.” She said, starting the truck and pulling off. “Please tell me you didn’t just waste all that time for two pairs of sunglasses.” Said Morgan, staring at her in disbelief. “No, I didn’t. There’s something else I needed in that bag, but that didn’t take up my time either. There’s an older couple across from me that gets a little chatty at the wrong times. Apparently one of their children had another child. Children, actually. They were twins. You wanna be the one to interrupt those proud grandparents next time, by all means, be my guest.” She finished, glancing at Morgan before turning her attention to the road. Morgan just glanced in the back seat, looking to Spencer, who just shrugged. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Victoria slowly pulled into the extensive driveway, putting the car in park as she turned off the engine. “You don’t have to put those on yet. In fact, you might not need them at all. Come on.” She said, collecting the mall bag, exiting the vehicle and heading to the door. With another shared glance, the two men just shrugged and got out, following after her. Victoria rung the doorbell, tossing her hair over her shoulder as the door opened. 

 

“Ms. Holsen..!” The young woman said, surprised by the agent’s presence. “Good afternoon, Alice. I’d like to come in.” Victoria said, giving the other woman a small smile. “Of course! You’re more than welcome. You and your guests.” Alice replied, stepping out of the way and allowing them in. “If I may ask, what brings you by all of a sudden? You wouldn’t happen to be, you know..?” Alice asked cautiously, glancing at the pair behind her before looking at Victoria. “No, I’m on the job. These are my colleagues. Where is.” Victoria paused for a second, glancing behind her before she continued. “Where is she?” She finished, adding emphasis on the word ‘she’. “Ah, She is currently busy at the moment. But, I doubt she’d mind being interrupted if it’s you.” Alice responded, smiling brightly. 

 

“Victoria, what is going on here? We don’t have time for-!” “I think I’ll just have to interrupt, then. I do hope you’re right, Alice. Come along, you two. Oh, and you can put on the sunglasses now. Thanks for your help, Alice.” Victoria said, giving the young blonde a small wave before heading to a new door. “Holsen, I don’t know what’s going on here but whatever it is we don’t have time for it.” Morgan said seriously, grabbing Victoria’s wrist. Victoria turned and glared at him, pulling her wrist away as she opened the door that led downstairs. “Shut up and put on the damn sunglasses.” She said sternly. Not waiting for a response, Victoria made her way down the stairs, a dissatisfied Morgan and Reid trailing behind her. 

 

They were met with a huge basement to compliment the huge house above it. A fitness room, a play room, and a room with the washer and dryer. But there was also a small study, which is where Victoria was heading. Reaching a simple bookcase, she felt around the edges before reaching into her bag. She didn’t bother to explain as she slipped on a black lace masquerade mask, with black feathers sticking up on the sides as rhinestones decorated around the edges. Satisfied that Morgan and Reid had slipped on the sunglasses, she ignored the shocked and confused expressions as she slowly pulled the bookcase away from the wall. 

 

Victoria walked in without hesitation, the red lighting fully covering the three as the bookcase closed behind them. “Try not to be too nosy. Some are a bit shy on being watched.” Victoria said, making her way down the carpeted hallway. Lace see-through curtains draped from the rooms that aligned the hallway, some were open while some were closed. Victoria made her way down the halls, not bothered by the quiet voices she heard from each room. Morgan and Reid, however, couldn’t help a few glances every now and then. Each room was occupied as they walked past, most filled with a woman seeming to take on the role of a dominatrix, their partners lying on the beds either freely or bound somehow. In some rooms, there would be one lone partner completely nude, other rooms they were both nude or covered. Some rooms held dominant men, toying with their partners however they chose. No matter the room, all Morgan and Reid could wonder was how the hell Victoria knew about this place. 

 

Victoria stopped as she reached the final room, standing in the doorway as she found who she was looking for. This room seemed to be the grandest of them all, containing a single woman whose body was barely covered in the lace nightgown meant to cover her delicacies. Her partner, on the other hand, seemed entirely naked if not for the blindfold over his eyes and the cuffs around his wrists. Victoria gave a soft knock against the wall. “Mind if I cut in.” She said, grinning as the woman’s head turned to her. At first she seemed angry, but then she relaxed. “Even under this lighting, I know those beautiful rubies anywhere.” The woman spoke, whispering something to her partner before making her way around the bed. Grabbing a robe from a nearby hook, the woman slipped it on before embracing Victoria for a French cheek kiss. “How have you been, darling..? I see you brought company.” The woman spoke, giving the two agents a soft wave. “I’ve been wonderful. I wish that I could be returning on better terms, but I have some things I need to ask you.” Victoria said, smiling as the woman raised an eyebrow. 

 

~Upstairs~ 

 

Victoria slowly removed the mask, returning it to her bag as the four of them exited the basement. “Alice, Mr. Jones needs tending to for a little while. His theme is denial.” The woman spoke, smiling as the young blonde made her way down into the basement, closing the door behind her. “Now then, I should start off by mentioning that this is Rosetta Collins. Rosetta, these are my colleagues, Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid.” Victoria said, pointing to the pair respectively as they removed their sunglasses, blinking to adjust their eyes. “It’s nice to meet you both.” Rosetta replied, tying her robe. “What the hell was that downstairs??” Morgan finally asked, earning a chuckle from Rosetta and an eye roll from Victoria. “I run a secret but legal BDSM Club. I’d go into detail, but I have a feeling we’re both in a rush. I have a website you can check out if you’d like. Anyway, let’s settle down in the living room. Can I get you all anything?” Rosetta said, leading the trio into her living room. “No thanks. I want you to get back as soon as possible. Tell him I apologize for the wait when you return.” Victoria said, taking a seat on the couch. 

 

“Now then, we’re looking for someone named Benjamin Lexington and-“ “That son of a bitch? Who’s he harassing this time?” Rosetta asked, frowning. “Harassing? What do you mean?” Spencer spoke, finally over the initial shock of..everything that happened. “He’s been calling here constantly looking for his ex-girlfriend, Jenny. She started six months ago, and he started calling three months ago. I always tell him she doesn’t want a thing to do with him, and I threaten him with police, but it never works.” Rosetta said, sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. “Have you ever actually called the cops on him?” Asked Morgan. “I have. Twice, actually. But he just doesn’t give up. Claims that Jenny owes him something.” She said, shrugging. “Owes him something. Huh. I think I know that something. Thank you for your time, Rosetta. We greatly appreciate it.” Victoria said, rising from her seat. 

 

Rosetta stood with her, giving her a quick hug. “You’re more than welcome, dear. Now, don’t be such a stranger! Stop by sometimes, we’ll do lunch. I’ll even allow you a few sessions, hon.” Rosetta said, giving her a wink. “But my records-“ “Have been shredded, love. But, you’re probably the best I’ve seen, after myself, of course. I’ll gladly allow you back anytime to ease some stress, just gimme a call. That goes for your friends, too.” The red headed woman said slyly, flashing the two men a smirk. “Probably not their style, but I’ll consider it. And don’t worry, I’ll do my best about those phone calls.” Victoria said, smiling as she headed to the door. “Ah, also. This Jenny girl. Is she..?” “A switch.” Rosetta replied, chuckling. “Well then, more power to her. We’ll see ourselves out. You enjoy yourself, Miss Rose.” Victoria said, heading to the door. “Thank you. Good luck to you all. And Victoria, if you’ve told them yours, you can tell them mine.” Rosetta said softly, smiling sadly as Victoria gripped the door handle a bit tightly. “Remember what I’ve told you, dear. Face it. Grow from it. I assure you, you’ll only get stronger.” Moving closer, Rosetta placed a hand over Victoria’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Thank you, Rosetta.” Victoria said softly, smiling at the woman before opening the door, exiting with Morgan and Reid close behind. 

 

“Okay, seriously, what was-“ “Shhh.” Victoria interrupted, getting into the SUV. “Victoria, we just wanna know-“ “Shhhh!” She said once more, taking her sunglasses back from the two before starting the truck, pulling out of the driveway. Victoria allowed a few more moments of silence before she spoke. “I don’t feel like answering twenty questions from both of you at once, so I’ll simply explain it. Try to hold any other questions until I’m done, alright?” She said, glancing at them. 

 

“Fine.” Said Morgan, leaning back in his seat. “I guess.” Spencer said, his mind racing as he eyed Victoria curiously. 

 

“Good.” Victoria started, leaning back some as her eyes focused on the road. “Now, I met Rosetta not too long after my 21st birthday. Or I guess it’d be more appropriate to say that she found me. She owns a small flower shop in town, and it’s actually pretty popular. But I met her in a nearby coffee shop. She approached me and said I had a look in my eyes that she’d known all too well. A look of despair. Sorrow. Hatred. Hurt. Anything you could think of that wasn’t happiness. She gave me her card and told me to give her a call. So, after a full week of thinking, I did. She invited me to her house for lunch and-“ 

 

“And you suddenly realized you have a thing for whips and chains?” Morgan interjected teasingly, laughing as he held up his arms to withstand Victoria’s oncoming slaps. “No!” She laughed, rolling her eyes as she gave him one final hit. “Now hush, this is my story. At least Spencer has the decency to stay quiet.” Victoria said, shaking her head. “That’s only because I figured something like that would happen.” Spencer chuckled, shaking his head as Morgan glanced back at him with a smirk. 

 

“Well now you know. Anyways, I went to her house for lunch and without hesitation, she told me her own story. It’s what she meant when she mentioned telling you two. Her father died in a car accident when she was eight years old, hit full speed by a drunk driver, who lived with barely a scratch. Her mother was distraught, but apparently she bounced back pretty quickly, marrying a man she met at work when Rosetta was 10 years old. Everything seemed..bearable at first, but Rosetta said she always knew something was off about him. She realized what it was once she turned 12. Let’s just say apparently the mother wasn’t enough for him.” Victoria paused for a moment, glancing at Morgan and Reid who shared that same look of disgust. 

 

“Apparently he never took it too far, other than the fact that he snuck into her room every night to do things in the first place. But, she says that sex wasn’t on the list, just touches. Almost every night for 4 years. Until the night of her sixteenth birthday. She didn’t know what changed or why, but something did that made him decide to try. She says that after four years of just laying there, that was the one night she wouldn’t stand for. So, she fought. She fought and screamed until her mother came running, and she said she had never seen her mother look more scary and deadly than that night. 

 

“Of course, he tried to explain. Tried to blame it on Rosetta, but her mother wasn’t fooled. She grabbed Rosetta and took her down to the kitchen, telling her to call the police. She says she’ll never forget her mother’s words to that man as she stood there, protecting her and Rosetta with the biggest kitchen knife she had. She told him if he made one move towards them, towards the door, or even back upstairs, he’d be leaving in a body bag. There was no way in hell he was leaving that house alive without handcuffs. She says her mother always dreamed of being an actress, so explaining a few cuts that he had when the cops arrived wasn’t that hard. She said her mother spent so much time making it up to her after that, always blaming herself for not knowing, not protecting her daughter better. But Rosetta never hated her. She was actually inspired by her. Her strength and courage led to Rosetta unlocking her own, and starting her business.” As Victoria finished, she had pulled into the garage of the FBI headquarters, leaning back in her seat as she turned the truck off. 

 

“So Rosetta took what had happened to her and started dominating men in her own way.” Spencer summarized, earning a swift nod from Victoria. “Yup. But after she shared her story, she asked if I would be comfortable sharing mine. So, I did. I told her about my mother, about the college incident, and she just comforted me afterwards. Then, she showed me that room. Said it was my decision, but that could be a way for me to de-stress. To vent. She’d teach me everything I wanted to know, and sex was something I’d never have to do. So, I accepted.” Victoria finished with a shrug, glancing at the two. “Perhaps it’s not so bad after all, then. I mean just look at you now. Badass little FBI agent with a secret side. Pretty hot, huh Reid?” Morgan said, smirking as he exited the vehicle. “Just ignore him, Spencer. That man would find a can opener sexy if it had enough curves.” Victoria laughed, her and Spencer exiting the vehicle, her bag hanging off her arm. 

 

“Oh very funny, missy.” Morgan said, giving her a light shove as the trio walked. “That’s Mistress to you, Derek Morgan.” Victoria said , chuckling as Morgan let out a whistle. “I think you’re treading on dangerous territory, Morgan.” Spencer laughed, smiling as Derek threw his arms around the two. “Oh? Or am I just treading on your territory, Reid?” Morgan teased, stepping back as he moved the two closer together. Victoria and Spencer glanced at each other, a small blush dusting both their cheeks as Victoria chuckled. “Maybe you are, Morgan. Oh, Spencer can you hold this for a sec?” She said, handing him the bag. “Now Derek, this won’t be leaked out to a Miss Penelope Garcia at any time, right?” Victoria said, glancing at him. Morgan just thought for a moment, opening his mouth to speak before running off, Victoria hot on his trail. 

 

“I can catch you in heels Derek Morgan! You better not say a word about this!” She yelled, chasing him as Morgan just laughed. “Then you better catch me first, Miss thing! Or I’m telling her about that and Reid’s newly claimed territory!” He teased, laughing the whole way. Victoria finally caught him at the elevator, nearly slamming him into the doors as they both stopped. “Derek I swear I will make your death look accidental. Don’t you dare!” She breathed, hitting his arm. “Hey hey! So abusive today. Besides, I have Reid as a witness.” He said, pointing at Spencer as he approached the two. “I have no idea what you mean.” Spencer said, grinning as he gave Victoria her bag back. “Oh that’s just wrong, kid.” Morgan laughed, shaking his head as the elevator opened. “Don’t take it personal, Morgan.” Victoria started, stepping into the elevator and leaning against Spencer’s arm. “Consider it as him protecting territory.” Victoria giggled as Spencer just blushed, smiling nonetheless. Morgan just chuckled as he stared at the pair, shaking his head as he looked up. 

 

“Whatever you say, Tori. Whatever you say.”


End file.
